


The Doctor Will See You Now.

by sonnet_18



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Doctor/Patient, Drama, M/M, Mentions of PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-16 10:13:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4621434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonnet_18/pseuds/sonnet_18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After his release from prison, former soldier Mink had trouble assimilating back to society. An acquaintance gave him a doctor’s number whom he can seek special help from. But it did not prepare him of the therapist whose scent reeked of death. Doctor Seragaki is ready to see you for your appointment; a new chapter of your second life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Session 1.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a reminder that it will be explained in later chapters why Aoba's therapy methods seems unconventional. Yes, Aoba's coaching talk was inspired from Kobato by CLAMP.
> 
> This is a work of fiction and I apologize if my research isn't enough to portray Mink's behavior as believable as real soldiers with real PTSD. Suggestions and constructive criticisms are welcomed.

 

**Chapter 1.**

 

Mink woke up with a violent jerk!

Heart pounding, screams and gunshots echoing in his skull. It took him several minutes to process that he’s alone in his barren room, safe with no nauseating smell of burnt forest. He forced himself to get out of bed and dragged his way to the washroom to refresh himself. After that he made himself a strong cup of coffee to get his system on gear. Besides, a cup of coffee is much more welcome compared to a pill of Xanax. He growled in annoyance that his bottle of Xanax ran out. Coffee was hardly a drug that can eased his aching head but it will do for now. Maybe he could smoke later, the pipe was an important memento of his late great grandmother after all.

Exiting the kitchen, his honey yellow eyes searched for the wall clock... 

Again, 2 am.

Every damn night he’d wake up at that hour as if his body’s programmed to be alert before 2:14 am. The exact time when his life changed forever years ago. Closing his eyes from the painful memories, Mink distracted himself by padding his way to the window. He brushed the curtains to the side and view the street of Midorijima, a foreign land but not a new home. He only arrived at this country few months ago to seek out one person. 

Seragaki-sensei.

“What a joke.” he bitterly chuckled.

Ever since his release from prison for a heavy crime, Mink felt out of touch with reality. After granted reduced years of behind bars, he’s now a free man. Yet can it be called freedom if he has nothing left? His days as a former soldier merely a memory in his mind, Mink wondered what to do next. Of course he thought of joining his brothers with the Gods. However fate kept thwarting his attempts, implying that it is not his time yet. Mingling with the people again was an experience Mink dislikes the most. Due to his imprisonment, he didn’t realize the world has modernized to such a degree that he felt extremely out of touch. Animals that are not animals. Jeweleries that can project GPS maps. Everything has changed so much and it made him agitated. It didn’t help that he hasn’t adjusted to civilian life yet. Reaching for his newly purchased coil, a number was displayed on the screen. It was sent by an acquaintance, a weird guy who worked at a bar called Black Needle. Mink never saw his face without the gas mask so that’s how he kept calling him as he can’t be bothered to remember the guy’s name.

 _“Call her number, she’ll be able to help you.”_ Gas Mask insisted.

 

_“I’m not sick. I don’t need to pay someone to listen to me.”_

_“Mink-san, please believe in me. I know Seragaki-sensei can help you..”_

Two months later and Mink still hasn’t contacted the doctor. Almost nightly he stared at her number to call for an appointment. But at the last minute he’d change his mind and deny he needed outside help. He could ignore the telephone number forever but a nagging feeling has been tugging him. Mink can’t continue living like this. The nightmares made him sleepless. He’d jump at the slightest surprise and worse he’d lash at anyone who’s behind him. Where he doesn’t remember the proper way to greet people normally is by handshakes and not punches to the face. That to establish friends is by bonding with them and not disciplining them to obey his commands. This resulted in the formation of a ragtag team of punks from the streets. Mink sighed at the reminder of those men who called themselves his followers. Mink is not some saint or their leader. 

Dumping the cold content of his mug to the sink, he caught a sight of his appearance from the glass window. Look at him, he’s far from his former self. How can he face his family like this?

He did need help, special help.

And to reach out, he must first dial this damn number.

Sighing in defeat, Mink’s finger nervously hovered over the screen and… pressed the call button.

*****

Aoba was in the middle of reading up another volume about brain surgery when the house phone rang. His expressive amber eyes blinked as he looked up to check the wall clock. Who could it be? And obviously it can’t be the three brats that mess up his workspace daily. It was way past their bed time. Having no friends except for his music and pet, Ren, Aoba can’t think of anyone who’d call him at this hour.

_RING RING!_

The phone rang incessantly and he pushed himself to stand up, “yes, yes! I’m coming!”

Reaching for the ancient handle, he cradled it in the crook of his shoulder, “hello, this is Heib… Seragaki household.”

“……………….”

“Hello? Hello~? Hey if this is a prank call in the middle of the night then it’s not funny.”

_“…… I would like to speak with Seragaki Tae.”_

The teenager gasped. An acquaintance of granny? But…. how can they not know?

“Um, who are you?”

Little do Aoba know that this phone call will change his life.

******************

Several coil calls later, Mink arrived not a bland building where he’d sit on a long chair but at a park. He looked around to see mothers with baby strollers while their toddlers played at the sand box and swings. He thought he can relax a bit in this situation. As long as he’s not within a big crowd where a possible suicidal bomber is among the group.

“Hello, are you Mink?”

The former soldier turned his face to the sound of a familiar voice he only heard from the line. Mink widened his honey coloured eyes in surprise. The voice belonged to a young man that smells... like death. It's as if he came from a morgue where death and decay reek from his clothes and hair. But the doctor had a shy smile which made Mink unable to look away. Immediately Mink studied this stranger who called his name in a pleasant voice. The youth seemed to be a young adult around his late teens. With a strange fashion sense as he was wearing anything but a lab coat. He was also protectively caressing his sling bag.

“Yes, and you are…the doctor?”

This is his therapist? He looks so young and… Is it even professional to conduct their therapy session outside where he took out not a file report but a puppy from said sling bag?

“Yes I am but I told you to call me Aoba, remember?”

Mink studied the younger male again, “I was told the owner of that phone number is Seragaki Tae.”

At this Aoba scratched the back of his head, “oh, um, I told you right? Baa-chan retired and is… away on a long term leave. Which is why—”

“You took over her clients.” Mink finished for him, feeling suspicion that Aoba is possibly not speaking entirely the truth. But perhaps he was too skeptical since his years at the battle field has made him jaded and mistrustful of just about everyone.

Trying to change the topic, he asked, “are we really having our first session here in public?”

Aoba sat next to Mink and placed his small pet on his lap, stroking the dark blue fur methodically.

“Technically it’s not our first session together. We talked a lot by phone calls, remember? You’ve told me what you want to tell me so far and I have ideas on how you can cope with your … habits.”

Mink didn’t disliked how Aoba chose his words well, calling it habits instead of problems. Serious problems involving him unable to control his strength, leading to accidentally hurt people near him. Mentally unfit to function as a human due to his trauma from the battle field.

“Why are we at the park?”

Aoba smiled and pick up the bundle of fluff in his arms, “this is my pet dog, Ren.”

“Woof!”

“Ren said ‘hello’ by the way.”

Mink simply blinked at how Aoba evaded the question, “ah…”

“Not ‘ah’, try greeting him back.”

The older man stared at Aoba as if he grew another head, “excuse me?”

“Oh. Sorry I forgot to ask. Are you afraid of dogs?”

“No.”

“Allergic to them?”

“No.”

Aoba waited for explanation but Mink just stared back at him with mild annoyance. He didn’t look deterred and smile brightly, again, “great! Then will you please greet Ren back? He likes it when you scratch behind his ears.”

“Woof! Woof!”

Mink has no idea what Aoba’s planning so he just followed the instruction. Raised his hand and gingerly pet Ren’s fluffy mane. The pup yipped back at him with a tail wag.

“Thank you!”

“……hmph…”

“This is the part where you say, _‘you’re welcome’_ or ‘ _it’s nothing.’_ Mink.”

“Why should I say that? And that thing is just an animal.”

Aoba didn’t lose his smile as he explained patiently, “it’s to express politeness. People will be kinder to you if you’re kind to them first.”

“But that thing---“

“Is my bestfriend. Ren. He is important to me. Be kind to animals and they will love you back in their own way forever.”

“Are you starting your lessons to teach me manners now?”

“No, I’m giving you guidance as a friend.”

“You are not my friend.”

“We know each other by name and we’ll work together from now on. I see you not only as my patient but also my new friend and I hope you’ll see me the same.”

“I see you nothing more than someone I can get free drugs from.”

“No, you are not going to use me. I am not a tool for you. I am your friend to help you. Oh yes, I would like to mention here that how I work is like this. I can only take one patient at a time so that I can devote all my attention to your case. The sessions per day can last from an hour to three hours maximum with breaks in between. I will take notes but only for my own reference and I assure you that your personal details are confidential. Don’t worry about the payment or how long this will take. Be it a few weeks or several months, I hope we’ll work together as a team now. Okay, Mink?”

Mink harrumphed and looked away. “This is bullshit.”

“You told me your wish. You told me you want to be better again. Allow me to help you, Mink. But your rehab won’t go far if you don’t help yourself.”

“…………….fine.”

“Thank you!”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“Oh believe me, you’ve done a lot better compared to our first call. Now, try holding him.”

If possible Mink moved back an inch, “what objective do I achieve with that?” His voice strained as he hold back his mild annoyance. Thinking the doctor was playing with him.

Aoba pulled Ren back and said in a calm tone, “You have told me a lot of things in our phonecalls, Mink. How you had trouble socializing and handling your anger. But it doesn’t have to stay as a big ball of resentment. You can de-stress yourself by interacting with your surroundings.” He gestured to the nature of the park they’re currently occupying.

“Nature and animals are easier to approach compared to people. Before you can interact with people, how about try giving my Ren a belly rub.”

“………..you’re a dog maniac aren’t you?”

“No, I’m only like this with my Ren.” He pouted.

Seeing the older man refused to even look at the puppy, Aoba sit up straight with a serious expression.

“Mink, tell me again why you called me.”

They have done this a few times already, whenever Mink refused to cooperate with Aoba. It’s always the same questions where Mink is now able to recite the answers in his sleep. Keeping him focus on why and for what he’s doing this for.

“I called you to fix my sanity.” He answered in a sarcastic tone.

“There’s a better way of phrasing it but yeah, you called me to get help. In what way can I help you, Mink?”

“……by going through sessions with you.”

“Yes! You asked my help for therapy sessions to be better in… what, Mink? What are your weak areas?”

”Just say it that I’m broken right here.” He tapped at his forehead.

Aoba shook his head, his eyes earnest with sincerity, “no, you’re not. You just have problem socializing and cope with your trauma.”

“Hmph.”

“ You’re scarred from your years of service at the military. You’re a brave hero, Mink. Assimilating yourself back to society can be stressful and challenging but I’m here to help you. Allow me to help you.”

“………..”, Mink only told Aoba about his former job, he hasn’t revealed yet why he was kicked out of the troop and landed in jail. His doctor has no idea that Mink is anything but a national hero.

“Allow me to help you in achieving your goal. What is your goal when we’re done with this?”

“To visit my family cemetery without wearing a straight jacket.”

Aoba sighed but smile at the end. Well that’s an improvement compared to the first time he reminded Mink of his goals to get him to cooperate during their calls. Mink would either refused to answer for hours or cut the line. Causing Aoba to keep dialing and redialing Mink’s number until they finished their session on the phone.

“Well, it’s okay if you don’t want to pet Ren. But I have established with you that interacting with animals and nature works to calm yourself.”

“Hmph…”

“You look like you don’t believe me.”

“Sitting here like a fool didn’t make me feel better at all.”

Aoba chuckled, “of course because we haven’t start anything yet. Now let’s begin as we go there!”

He pointed to the long path way that surrounded the park. The trail branched out to different directions at the intersection, some lead to the paths across the forest, others around the lakes and little gazebo shades. At this time of the day, there were a few cyclist and joggers but otherwise it’s a peaceful place.

“Why are we going there?”

“To have a walk.”

“Walk?”

“Yes! Ren likes it when we have walks in the park.” Aoba reached out his hand to Mink as he stood up.

Mink’s raised an eyebrow but he stood by himself and ignored Aoba’s hand. The teenager didn’t look deterred and caught up with Mink’s long stride.

 “Mink! Look up there!”

Glancing up, Mink saw the prettiest shade of blue. It’s quite rare to see cloudless, clear skies this pretty. Almost like the colour of Aoba’s hair.

Blinking, he turned to Aoba with a deadpan voice, “what is there to see?”

Aoba pouted, “don’t you see how pretty the sky is now?”

“That is a valid point yet what does it matter to reaffirm that fact?”

Aoba laughed, “don’t you agree the view looks much better if you look up and around you?”

“Are you going to start lecturing me about positivity again?”

“No, I’m just starting a conversation. We can just walk in silence if you prefer that way.”

Mink didn’t reply and that answered Aoba’s question loud enough.

*****

Initially Mink was tempted to walk off from this stupid session. He expected to go to a room where he lie down on the long chair and just blab about what’s bothering him. If he’s lucky, his therapist will prescribe him pills to help him sleep. But he didn’t expect to meet a young doctor who’s a dog maniac and just waste his time walking into a park forest. What’s the point of all this? But turned out Aoba’s words did have a grain of truth after all. Walking across the city of Midorijima made him suffocated. Surrounding himself with nature did uplift his mood a bit. It’s peaceful with the smell of soil after last night’s rain. The birds chirped across the sky like a melody compared to the trash beat he often heard when passing by clubs. A few squirrels even curiously followed his heels. This were all nostalgic because it reminded him of his childhood home.

Panting lightly from the long walk, they stopped at a high hill where a large tree stood. Mink touched the tree bark with affection before overlooking the view of Midorijima city. They’re not as dazzling compared to witnessing the sun up in the sky.

“Shall we have a break here?” Aoba suggested. His cheeks flushed a bit as sweat dripped down his cheeks and slender neck.

Mink looked away from the sight and wordlessly sat down with his back against the tree. His doctor plopped himself next to him with his beloved pup on his lap.

“Do you feel safe here?”

“……yes.”

“It feels great, right? Nature does that for you. Sometimes a little exercise works too.”

“You’re implying I lacked work out?”

Aoba eyed the strong bicep of Mink from his ripped jacket sleeve. He faked a cough to hide his blush.

“I think you’re fit like an athlete but a little walk doesn’t hurt. Besides, it’s a much welcoming option than staying cooped up indoors.”

“…………….surrounded by four walls is better than miles and miles of dead forest.”

Aoba blinked when Mink mentioned that. Was it related to when Mink was on active duty?

“…Mink?”

“No, never mind, Now what do we do next?”

“Nothing.”

“What?”

“I meant nothing strenuous. I want you to relax and decompress. Being somewhere quiet, surrounded by nature can help your spirits.”

“I can do that just fine with sleeping.”

“But you have insomnia, yes? There are other ways we can let our body relax. Yoga is one of them or the easiest method is like this. After a brisk walk, we relax and enjoy the cool wind here where it’s quiet.”

Mink almost looked convinced and dozed off hearing Aoba’s soothing voice but he quickly shook his head and barked weakly, “no, just give me pills to knock me out for several hours and we’re done here.”

“No.” Aoba refused calmly like a parent with a child, “we can work this out without relying on pills.”

Mink narrowed his eyes, “what? Is the hospital out of stock on those pills or something? Or you can’t have access on the new batches yet?”

Aoba tensed a bit then smiled at him, “I can get them easily but only for patients with chronic cases. And you are not on that list, Mink. That’s why our sessions will proceed without any involvement of pills.”

With a defeated sigh, Mink looked away grumpily. “If I can just relax by sitting down like this I wouldn’t have needed your help.”

“Do you need something to do while relaxing?”

“……I suppose.”

“Hmm… How about a picnic? I can buy something and we’ll eat here.”

“……I’m not hungry yet.”

“Oh okay… hmm, how about… reading?”

“Reading?”

“Yes! Do you like the magazines or newspapers?”

“………Books.”

God, when was the last time he held one? As if after his released from prison, Mink seemed to have forgotten how he was in the past. When his mind wasn’t full of revenge 24-7, when the only purpose of living was to pull that trigger. After answering the question, Mink waited for Aoba to laugh at his face. Because he got that all the time from his former comrades. They all assumed someone from his background were all brawns that had nothing but brute strength. Those ignorant bastards weren’t able to connect the connection between him and intelligence.

“You like books? Interesting! I like listening to music more though. Have you heard about this super awesome band called _Goatbed_?”

Aoba saw Mink’s bored expression and blushed before faking a cough, “excuse me. Okay, that settles it! Tomorrow meet me here again at this hour and we’ll have a picnic with books!”

Seeing Aoba’s sincere expression made Mink blink. This kid isn’t faking his enthusiasm at all. He honestly thought Mink’s a bookworm and there’s nothing strange about that.

“Well, there’s one problem.” The older man crossed his arms on his chest with a sad tone, “I have not purchase any books yet.” He recalled the smell of burnt pages...

“Not purchase… oh! Yeah, you did mention you recently moved here. Oh! Then let’s make that as our tomorrow’s agenda! I bring you to places where we can buy new books!”

“And after that what do we do? You’re going to lecture me about how books will make me smarter?”

“No, silly. I want to know what kind of books do you like to read.” by now Aoba is used to Mink’s jabs but it didn’t miss his notice when he saw the older man eying a flock of birds flying across the sky. Could it be?

“Okay, it’s about time we go home now. Let’s reflect back what we’ve done so far.”

Mink rolled his eyes. Do they really have to do this at the end of every session?

“First, we’ve established that you prefer nature than interacting with animals as your method of decompressing. As a place for you to relax. Secondly, you can improve your mood by having a walk. Try to have a jog every morning or evening 2-3 times a week.”

“Hmph.”

“I’ll jog with you if you’re lonely.” Aoba offered in a teasing tone.

Mink raised an eyebrow as he eyed the doctor from head to toe, “I won’t feel lonely. You can cuddle your mutt and go back to sleep.”

“Come on, let’s jog together. I might not be an early riser so I might be a lil’ late. Now onto the 3rd point, we’re going to buy some books. Which we’ll continue in our next session tomorrow, are we clear?”

“…….Yes.”

“Thank you for answering that with a polite word. Now then, do you have anything you wish to share with me? Your thoughts or suggestions?”

“I still think it’s better you stop wasting your time to fix me and just give me pills. I’ll still pay you for the sessions we’re suppose to have.”

“Absolutely not! Besides, like I said I wanted to know what kind of books you like to read.”

“……..Why do you care so much? I’ll still pay you and you don’t have to pretend you’re this enthusiastic to fix me.”

Aoba gasped softly but instead of looking offended, he has this genuine sad expression, “I’m not pretending. I really do want to help you. We’re working on this as a team, okay? We’ll jog together, well talk and we’ll even read books together too!”

“………….fine.”

“Thank you, Mink.”

“Hmph.”

“Mink….” Aoba repeated his name with that tone of a mother.

He grudgingly murmured, “……you’re welcome.”

“Alright! See you tomorrow here at the park by 2pm and don’t be late!” at this Aoba offered his hand.

“What?”

“When we part, it’s proper to say _‘see you tomorrow’_ with a handshake _.”_

“Lesson on manners again. Do you think I’m 5 years old?”

“Not really but I really do want to see you again tomorrow, Mink. I want to see you.”

At that Mink blinked in surprise. Aoba’s tone was too sincere to doubt and that smile of his…

“This is stupid.”

Aoba sighed with a chuckle and then started again, “What is your goal, Mink?”

“….I want to be a decent man before paying my respects to my family.”

“And how can you be a respectful man?”

“I want to be respectful by showing polite courtesy and manners… even to strangers.”

“Good, is accepting my hand fall under the category of polite form of saying farewell before we part?”

Mink was quiet for a moment but he did reach out to grab Aoba’s hand. The shorter male was about to say something but lost his voice when he witnessed Mink’s next action. He pulled Aoba’s hands to his lips and _kissed_ it! Just like how a gentleman kisses a lady’s hand after a dance at the ball. Seeing Aoba’s flustered expression, Mink smirked handsomely. Making the youth’s heart skipped a beat!

The former soldier gently released Aoba’s hand and murmured, “that’s for making me pat the mutt.”

Aoba cradled his hand to his chest, then he snapped out of it and laughed, “then will you be kissing Ren’s paw next?”

“No thanks.”

Back to difficult mode, Mink began to walk away, “2pm tomorrow, here at the park. If you’re late, I’ll leave.”

“I won’t!” he called after Mink’s back. “and, uh, and have a nice day to you too!”

 

************

 

*********************

 

*****************************

To be continue...


	2. Session 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : there will be mentions of animal cruelty in this chapter.

The next two weeks, Aoba kept true to his words and brought Mink to libraries across Midorijima city. While every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, they’d jog together in the morning. Despite Aoba kept falling behind during their run, Mink would always stopped to wait for Aoba to catch up before he resumed his brisk walk. After their exercise, they’d go to the nearest bookstore and spent their afternoon there with a cool drink. Mink almost forgot this was part of his rehab since it felt more like a date. It was strange but he’s not opposed to it. Besides, having Aoba by his side felt better than being alone in the house with his memories. All that jogging and surrounding himself with nature did make him feel slightly better.

Mink sat by the large window with a thin volume in his hands. His face lacked the stress lines that he often wore when he’s annoyed as his eyes focused on the printed words from centuries ago. Under the sunlight and with his reading glasses perch on his nose, the former soldier resembled more of a magazine cover model than ever.

Mink sighed with a small smile. He felt so at ease in his seat with a familiar book in his hand. It been years and he almost forgot what was the ending of this tale. It was funny because back then he used to read and reread this very tale about a young prince that was lost at a dessert by himself. Was he doomed to find the mirage of water for eternity? No wait, perhaps a kind blue genie rescued him. Well, no need to rush and find out what would happen by the end of the tale. This time Mink could read his books just like in the past. No worries over sudden attacks nor fatal ambush by the enemies. He can sit back and relax without fear of a bullet or two flying across the room.

However it seemed that Mink’s brain had other plans for his exhausted body.

Slowly the printed texts on the brown page doubled and tripled. Funny, did he suddenly became high? But ever since he’s under his doctor’s care, Mink’s been taking less dangerous dosages. Few minutes later Mink’s vision went darker and darker as his shoulders sagged down as his energy left him…

_*tap* *tap* *tap*_

Today they’re at an ancient library at the Southern area of Midorijima. It was so deserted that the place was almost mistaken as a storage room! The librarian looked equally as ancient as all he did was sleep in his chair. No matter how much Aoba excitedly ran to and fro between book shelves, Mr. Nakajima just snored louder!

“Hey! Hey Mink! I found these interesting…. books…”

Aoba slowed down his steps when he saw up close his patient actually… doze off? 

Wait, that was fast!

How long ago did Aoba left him reading here? Oh wait, it was half an hour ago when he climbed up those bookshelf stairs. Tip toeing closer, Aoba studied Mink’s rare, relaxed expression as he slept. With his broad back rested against the wall and the sunlight casted upon him from the windows, he looked almost like those beautiful statues.

His dreadlocks aren’t tied up in a ponytail bun anymore so it’s splayed over his shoulders. The reddened tips were long enough to reach his stomach. But the one part Aoba can’t take his eyes off was Mink’s parted lips. The mouth that’d curse and reject Aoba’s words but at the same time so attractive whenever Mink picked up his pipe for a smoke. Just about everything of Mink made Aoba can’t stop staring at the man. In Midorijima it’s not that often foreigners came here for a vacation so Mink’s exotic features were something Aoba never had a chance to appreciate before. Besides, Aoba was not the only one who turned their heads when Mink walked past---

“R-run…”

Suddenly Aoba noticed the soft noises coming from Mink as if he’s in agony. His right hand reached up to his stomach and gripped it tight as if he was shot.

“M- Mink?”

He murmured words that weren’t English nor Japanese but it definitely sounded like he’s calling out a person’s name.

“Mink, hey, wake up.” The younger man gently nudged his patient on the shoulders.

“S-save the… children… ”

“Mink!!”

Mink jolted awake and immediately his hand reached to his dagger at his boot strap if it was still there! His eyes wild and he panted heavily. Unaware of his surrounding.

“Mink, Mink it’s me. It’s Aoba. We’re in the Midorijima Library.”

Aoba calmly explained to him but refrained from touching the patient. Knowing well that unnecessary touches might aggravate Mink during his confusion.

“Mi… dorijima…?”, Mink repeated as his cradled his head.

Aoba nodded, “Yes, we were reading. At Midorijima library.” He repeated and kept his words short with a calm tone to make it easy for his patient, “and then you fell asleep.”

The moment Mink realized his error, he refused to look at Aoba. Either from shame or containing his anger, Aoba’s not sure.

“Did… you hear anything when I slept?”

His doctor did heard something but it was just a foreign language to his ears. It sounded nice.

“No, you just sounded like you were in pain. Would you like me to get you some water?”

_Do you want to be left alone for a few minutes?_

Mink shook his head, “no, it’s fine.”

It’s fine that Aoba didn’t hear anything he didn’t want his doctor to hear. Mink wasn’t ready to open that chapter yet.

“…your scent. It’s almost like mine.”

“My---?”

Mink dismissed the topic as he stared at the book Aoba held in his arms, “Is that another children book? If you want me to read it for you, then I’ll have to ask you to pay me for today’s session.”

Snapping out of his reverie as Mink was back to his usual grumpy self, Aoba pouted, “No, actually this one is really educational with pictures!”

“………..you’ve been picking up animal books since we arrived here. What is your next evil plan?”

Aoba pretended to look offended, “excuse me, I’m not devising any of that sort. But look at these pictures, aren’t they pretty?” He shoved the book into Mink’s face.

Mink sighed and plucked the big book from squashing anymore of his nose.

He flipped through the pages then raised an eyebrow as he looked up at Aoba’s beaming face, “Hawks… eagles… owls… penguins, so it’s all birds this time huh?”

“Well…. the last book I showed you, you hardly said anything.” Aoba explained with his face half hidden from Ren’s furry head. Usually animals aren’t allowed in the library but the pup was such a good boy that it hardly bark nor bite any of the furniture.

Mink rolled his eyes, “they were picture books on big hounds. I’m not a dog maniac like you. ”

Aoba pouted again but just like a pendulum swing, he smiled again in 0.01 seconds. A literal sunshine and rainbows this kid. As if Mink invited Aoba to come closer, the doctor gingerly sat next to the larger man and pointed to one of the diagram.

“This one’s a barn owl. They can move their head in 360 degree rotations! Isn’t that interesting?”

Mink looked anything but interested, “it looks like it can kill me in my sleep.” He commented in a deadpan voice.

“Argh, you’re always so serious. Okay, fine! What about this canary? It says here they have the prettiest tune when they chirp.”

“…………….I could probably hurt it if I hold it.”

“Hmm… we’ve shake hands before and you didn’t hurt me. I know you can control your strength so maybe you just need a bit of practice?”

“With what? Holding baby chicks?”

“Hmm…. Good idea! I’ll add that to our next outing. We’ll visit a farm!”

Mink regretted he even sarcastically said that, “no.”

“Oh! Look at this eagle!”, Aoba pretended he didn’t hear Mink’s disagreement and pointed to page 77 of the book, “Its claws are so strong and sharp. It says here that some tribes use them as part of the totem pole decoration.”

“…………Because they’re the highest flying birds, they were seen to be nearer to the Creator. Bird and animal symbols on totems represent the physical form of a spirit helper and guide for some tribes. That’s why they carved stone eagle for protection, healing and hunting powers.” Mink explained as if he knew this from the heart.

“Wow… I see. You know so much about this, Mink. Were you from America before?”

“…………..”

“Mink?”

“……Nevermind. Turn the page.”

“O…okay. Hey look, this one’s called _‘Major Mitchell's Cockatoo’._ It says here that this gorgeous bird with its Native American Headdress-like crest is small; only weighing between 300 and 400 grams and is about 14 inches long. They are intelligent but an uncommon pet to adopt because they can be noisy and hard to tame. They also have a nasty bite too.”

“Hmm….”

It didn’t miss Aoba’s notice when Mink touched the picture illustration with interest. His expression didn’t change much but Aoba can see Mink’s eyes never left the diagram of the bird.

Smiling, he gently rested his hand on Mink’s arm, “hey Mink, let’s really go and visit a farm.”

Mink used to hate it when other people touch him but Aoba always asked first for his permission. By now the patient was comfortable enough to let the doctor touched him more often during their sessions. Besides, Aoba would never touch him by surprise. The younger man would catch his gaze before touching him, establishing that sense of consent and trust.

The older man sighed softly and relent, “When?”

“Well…. when are you free, Mink?”

Mink furrowed his brow and asked back, “why are you asking me? Aren’t therapist suppose to be busier than regular doctors? You should be the one to set the exact date and time.”

Aoba looked flustered as if caught forgetting his lines which was strange as he scrambled on what to say, “o-oh! Right! Yeah I did mention I take one patient at a time. Well then, this Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm. Meet me at train Green Island station”

“Fine.” and that was the end of their discussion as Mink clearly show he wanted to resume his reading now.

*************

Aoba’s unconventional ways of rehab therapy was unpredictable to the point Mink both dread and wonder where will they go each week. The first week they went to several libraries and book café shops. Already from their first several sessions Mink is convinced the two of them are not going to work out together as a pair. No matter how many times Aoba tirelessly insist they’re making progress. Mink believed he hasn’t changed much, he hasn’t became Mr. Perfect overnight and he only mostly talk to Aoba instead of strangers. Whenever they’re at restaurants or public faces, Aoba became his voice as he’d order their food or ask question to strangers if they’re lost in old streets. Many a time Mink’s been trying to call Aoba at night that he wanted to quit or find another doctor but seeing the youth’s cheery smile every time they meet up made Mink thought twice about his decision.

Then on the second week where they both promised to go to a farm, it was a surprising experience. It was like back in time when life was simple where his peopled used to rely on nature for food and necessities. Mink felt like he’s back at his homeland compared to Aoba who had internet and technology withdrawal.

The owner of this huge place belonged to an old man named Shibuya. The aging men needed the help of beautiful daughter to push his wheel chair wherever he went.

“It’s so good to receive guests like you who are interested in having green fingers! Come, come in and I’ll teach you everything here!” Shibuya laughed kindheartedly as he pulled Mink by the wrist to welcome him in.

Aoba expected Mink to look annoyed but he was surprised to see a melancholic look from the former soldier’s face.

After an hour, Aoba dragged his achy self out of the barn to find Mink behind the wooden house.

“Wow, you chopped those woods so fast, Mink!” Aoba clapped his hand after taking a seat on one of the fallen logs.

“This is nothing.” The patient huffed as he wiped his brow dry from sweat and continue swinging the axe, “have you milked the cows like what the farmer instructed you?”

“Hmm… I tried but the milk just won’t come out!”, Aoba sighed heavily and burry his face in Ren’s fluffy fur. Ren was chased by a train of angry hens and the poor puppy was still too scared to be put down.

Mink rolled his eyes, “weren’t you listening when the farmer taught us how to milk? You need to massage the tits first.”

Aoba blushed when Mink said that and when the older man realized Aoba’s silence, he asked with an impatient tone, “what? Is there something on my face?”

“N-no! no, nothing. Please continue.” Aoba wondered if someone attractive like Mink had a lover or two. With a body like that and a strong voice like his, he could be some shady boss with beautiful women clinging to each side of him.

Mink still looked at Aoba’s flushed cheeks suspiciously before resuming his wood chopping., “Hmph, and remember not to go near the white horse.”

“The white horse? Oh right, I think they call her Banshee. That’s kinda mean for a name though since she’s pretty.”

“Doesn’t matter what we thought of how they treat their animals. Now go back to work.”

Aoba pouted and sarcastically salute, “yes sir.”

*****

He was only able to get a quarter of Milk when already in that short time Mink chopped wood enough for two winters and cut Aoba’s tasked into half by helping to milked the lambs. He even raked the grass to one side as a final clean up as the sun sets down.

“Um, Mr. Mink? Would you like to have Iced Barley?”

Aoba was having back sprains when he heard the awkward English.

It’s the farmer’s daughter, she’s a real beauty and together with Mink they do look like a great match.

Mink was initially disinterested to accept her offer but one look from Aoba changed his mind.

“…thank you.”, he answered back in English and took a big gulp from the chilled glass.

They began to have small conversation, if it was even considered a conversation as the lady ask him simple questions while Mink answered with yes and lots of no’s.

Feeling like a third wheeler, Aoba picked up Ren and went back to the barn where he forgot his cap.

“Mink sure is making progress huh Ren? That’s the first time I see him talking to other people pleasantly…”, Aoba tried to smile but his eyes looked sad. Why is it when he saw Mink and the lady together… he felt slightly…. Upset?

A beeping sound from his coil alerted Aoba of the time.

“Oh, crap it’s nearing 5pm! We need to go back to the bus station quick before we missed our ride--- gyaah!”

He slipped and fell down… near Banshee the horse. Aoba’s fall broke the rickety wooden door that kept her inside her area and all hell broke loose when the skittish white horse charged at him with fury!

“GYAAAHHHHH!”

*******

“I see, was there any height requirement to join the military?”, the farmer’s daughter asked with interest.

“You have to sit for a test and you’ll undergo a fitness test---“ Mink stopped when he heard a familiar cry.

“Mr. Mink?” the woman stood up too until she heard the familiar stomping hooves and horse’s cry. “Oh no, it’s Banshee!”

Mink was already running across the field as Aoba ran as fast as he can from the charging horse!

“HELLLPPPPPP~!!!!”

“EVERYONE CLEAR THE WAY, I GOT MY GUN! I KNEW I HAVE TO SHOOT THAT DAMN HORSE ONE OF THESE DAYS!’

Mink turned his head amidst running to see Shibuya has a gun in his wrinkly hands! He started to shoot like a mad man at the mad beast!!

“Father! Stop that or you’ll accidentally shoot our guests!!!” the daughter ran towards him as she shouted.

Shibuya didn’t care and continued shooting, due to the impact of the trigger it caused his aim to off several cm. Hitting the wood blocks, the roof of the house, the windows of the barn and just about everywhere!

Mink cursed silently as he ran faster, leaping forward as he neared Aoba and grabbed him from behind as they face down on the grassy floor!

“M-Mink?” Aoba asked as he turned his head to the scent of cinnamon. Something heavy and warm was on his back and it’s Mink! Making the doctor flushed and nervous.

“Stay down!” he barked his command.

Bullets went over their heads and back. Suddenly a piercing cry from the horse was the last thing they heard. The silence from any stomping horses or bullet shots made Aoba and Mink raised their heads. They both saw a few yars away, Banshee the crazy horse laid dead on the floor. Several shots can be seen from its side.

“Heh, got her.” Shibuya put down his menacing weapon while his daughter looked miserable by his side. She was a step too late to protect the horse from her father’s bullets.

Aoba covered his mouth at the sight while Mink glare at the laughing old man.

**********

Since they missed their bus home, the lady offered to lend them the guest room as well as dinner. Her cooking was delicious, much better than the ones Aoba made since he accidentally burnt some of the potatoes. Sitting at the porch where the shoji doors slid open wide for the cool night air to enter, it was pretty relaxing.

“Ah tonight has a great view of the moon. Hana! Get me the Sake’ bottle! I’m going to drink with Mink-kun here!”

“But father, your health…”

“I can live for another ten years! Now get me those Sake`!”

She sighed but obeyed.

With Aoba busy at the kitchen cleaning the dishes, Mink decided to relax a bit although he wanted to be anywhere but share a drink with this bastard who thought nothing of killing an innocent animal. But at the same time Mink felt guilty. He could easily pull the reins of Banshee and calm her down but in his mind was all about saving Aoba from harm hence he chose to protect his doctor instead of the horse.

He did not expect that his decision of choosing Aoba cost the poor horse’s life.

“So what do you think of my Hana?”

Mink blinked when the old farmer asked him a question.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t try to pretend now. I saw how you two were talking together and she’s of marriageable age now. Once I’m gone you can inherit five acres of lands.”

“…………..”

“You don’t seem all that thrilled. Very well, make Hana your second wife or mistress then if you already have a lover back at the city. I don’t care. I saw how you worked and managed the farm. You have capable hands and I don’t mind giving all these to you.”

Well, putting aside how the old senile man killed an animal without an ounce of remorse, Mink did thought of how peaceful his life can be here. He can work on the farm all day, he’ll never make Hana as his wife since he doesn’t believe he can love another person again after his fiancé died in his arms…

“Why giving away your life’s treasure to a mere stranger like me?” Mink asked instead.

“Hana has been telling me she wants to go to the city and be a policewoman or a soldier. I don’t want her to leave just like my wife did. I want her to stay here and I’ll even pay any decent man to marry her.”

Mink felt pity, will marrying Hana is the only way to rescue her from her senile father?

Mink was a man who lost everything from the fires. Maybe this was God’s answer to him as to why he was still living. Is this his second chance? To live the rest of his days with Hana and running the farm together?

 “Mink! I’m done with the dishes, would you like to have a bath first?”

A blue wind snapped Mink out of his reverie.

Aoba’s bright smile and tender amber eyes reminded Mink of his original wishes.

Smirking, he stood up and told the doctor, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Aoba nodded with a wave, “okay!” and close the door.

To the farmer, Mink declared, “I refused to have your land nor your daughter. She is not a tool, she has her own ideas and ambition. Let her go.”

“……Hmm so even you refused my offer huh.” The old man looked cross but hid it well.

“Well then, still I cannot let you leave empty handed after helping me man the farm. What would you like? Money?”

Mink eyed the room. The interior of the living room were filled with animal heads and trophies. Seemed like old Shibuya was once an Olympic candidate of sort.

“SQUAWK!”

There were a few cages for sparrows and canaries but all seem malnourished as their feathers looked bad and their beaks slightly bloody...  it didn’t take a genius to come to a conclusion that the birds were underfed and forced to share a small cage with other crowded birds. Hana may have tried her best to care for her father’s pets but since she’s alone manning the farm, there’s a limit of her capabilities.

Coming to a decision, Mink pointed to a corner of the wall, “I will take that one.”

************

The next morning when the first bus arrived, Aoba had this groggy look as he sat down next to Mink

“SQUAWK!”

Aoba jumped from the loud sound the bird made. The same bird that perched on Mink’s shoulder.

“This is so embarrassing…”

Mink doesn’t seem to mind as he gave a cigar to the bird to munch on. The big, pink bird had been munching on his hair too much and he didn’t want the malnourished bird to get food poison or anything.

“Just ignore them. You had no problem holding your pup in public.”

Aoba pouted as he protectively hugged Ren, “Ren is cute, that bird is noisy.”

“It’s a Major Mitchell's Cockatoo.”

“Ma- major…What?”

“Don’t you remember? It’s the bird from the library book you showed me.”

Mink saw the wheels turned in Aoba’s head as recognition filled his expressive eyes, “oh! W-wow… they’re larger than I thought from the diagrams. Who would have thought Shibuya-san would have owned this expensive pet.”

"He must have... stolen it."

"S-stolen?!"

"Who knows. And when we exit the train station later on, I want to go to the vet.”

“The vet? Ah, for birdie’s supplies? You’re really going to adopt it?”

“Of course.”

*****

This noisy bird, he hated it but something within him refused to leave the bird die in its cage back at the farm. Of course he couldn’t rescue all the birds but this one made him want to bring it home.

Turned out having a pet actually helped Mink’s therapy session. The large bird would squawk if it was hungry and pecked on him to force Mink get out of bed. Eventually discouraging Mink from staying in bed all day feeling miserable and drowning in memories. Having a pet forced Mink to be responsible for the animal’s well being as well as himself. Feeding the bird would remind him to feed himself too. Eventhough he’s not in the mood to eat nor drink. Besides, having a feathery companion does made him feel less lonely in that room. A welcomed distraction compared to the nightmares of his past.

“Good morning!”, Aoba greeted as he sat up from the bench of the park.

“Hmph.”

A flapped of wings can be heard that circled above their heads before it perched on Mink’s shoulder. Still having a cigar between its beak.

“Ah, I see that you brought your new friend for our morning jog. Good, good.”, Aoba stopped telling his patient to put away that cigar days ago.

“The vet said they need to exercise and I hate locking him in their cage.”

“Oh ho, so doting already. Now that you know how it feels to be a pet owner, will you stop calling me a dog maniac now?”

“No. Your obsession with the mutt is a level of its own.”

“Hey, just because I may have overfed my pet doesn’t mean I don’t monitor his health. Besides, you haven’t even name your birdie yet. Do you still call him _‘Oi’_ , and _‘You’_?”

“He responds better when I call him _‘Tori’_ now.”

Aoba sighed, “Just that? Poor birdie. Well at least you didn’t call him Pinky.”

Mink harrumphed again but it didn’t miss Aoba’s attention when he saw the older man fondly caressed his pet’s beak. The red head was in denial to admit that maybe Aoba was right all along. Having a pet was preferable compared to being alone in the house. It was a pain, a mess and an annoyance but Mink didn’t hate his new friend.

Yeah, seemed like working with Seragaki-sensei doesn’t seem to be a hopeless project after all. Maybe he shouldn’t have given up too soon. Maybe there was still hope for someone like him.

But few questions kept nagging at Mink whenever he thought about this peculiar, young doctor.

Why was he so young? And why did he refused Mink’s previous payment for their sessions?

***********

 

********************

 

*****************************

 

To be continue...


	3. Session 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A BIG THANK YOU TO MOFSPADES FOR BEING MY AMAZING BETA READER!

 

“Good morning!”

“…………..”

“Good! Mor~ning!”

“……Morning.”

“How was your weekend?”

“…….It was… fine.”

“Really? I went grocery shopping and bought lots of vegetables. What about you?”

“…Reading.”

"..........."

".................."

“Hm?”

 “I read... some books… and did laundry.”

Aoba clapped his hands happily with sparkled eyes, “laundry! That’s amazing, Mink!”

“Tch…”

“Mink…”

“It… It was… nothing.”

Aoba nodded with a big grin and ticked some notes on his clip board.

“You’re doing so much better for your week 5, Mink! This is wonderful!”

“Tch, I felt like I’m just reading out a damn script.” Mink disagreed as he crossed his arms with a grunt.

Both of them were again at their secret place in the park, sitting under the huge tree where they could view the whole of Midorijima.  It became Mink’s favourite place other than the ancient libraries.

Aoba explained patiently with a bright smile, “it’s like this. When you feel sad, try to smile. Studies have shown that the very act of smiling can improve your mood and make you feel happier. In addition, laughing releases endorphins, those brain chemicals that enhance your mood. This conversation practice we’ve been having since week 3 will help you, Mink. With a lot of practice, eventually later you’ll be talking to people naturally!”

That sounded so fake but Aoba’s stubbornness and positivity never fail to remind Mink that there might be a grain of truth from his words.

“So you’re saying if I keep faking it, eventually I’d trick myself to believe deep down I’m a nice person? Is that what your project is all about? Don’t make me laugh.” Mink’s bitter words came out before he could stopped himself.

Aoba was quiet for a moment then put down his clipboard before he moved closer to face his patient.

 _“This is it…”,_ Mink thought to himself.

He stared back at Aoba’s expressive amber eyes with a solemn look. He expected this is it, that his rotten attitude finally snapped Aoba’s final string of patience and end their session forever. No matter how saintly Aoba’s good intentions were in helping Mink’s goal, the doctor was no angel. He’s human and every human has their limits.

“You’re right, you’re not a nice person.” Aoba agreed with a serious tone.

Mink almost flinched as if he was kicked in the stomach.

“You won’t open the door for me when we enter the restaurant, you never say _‘please’_ or _‘may I’_ when requesting something from me even after I taught you several useful phrases. You smoked in public places where people aren’t allowed to smoke and you drove your motorcycle so loudly at early dawn when your neighbors were still sleeping.”

Aoba sighed like a disappointed parent.

Mink frowned and was about to say something when suddenly his young doctor smiled at him with a mild blush.

“You’re not a nice person at all but see… you waited for me whenever I’m left behind during our jog. You’d give me your jacket when suddenly it rained. Let me tell you that if you’re with a girl, use an umbrella next time. She’d definitely swoon! Oh, and say something manly like _‘you can have the umbrella, I’d just run home.’_ Okay?”

Mink just blinked at Aoba, speechless.

“Ahem, as I was saying, you’re actually a gentle person.” Aoba smiled wider, “you helped pick me up to sleep on the couch when I dozed off.”

“You were in the way and I don’t want to accidentally trip myself on the floor.”

“You made me breakfast.”

“It was just toast.”

“After that we watched the news together.”

“I was watching the news but you just came in and watched with me.”

“True but you were polite enough to share the tv with me, Mink. Thank you!”

Mink shook his head lightly and sighed.

_“Unbelievable...“_

His doctor was a hopeless case. He had got to be the most patient person he ever met. Never once the younger man lost his temper with the former soldier. Aoba knew when to back off and gave Mink some space when Mink felt overwhelmed. But at the same time he never let go of Mink’s hand. No matter how much Mink growled like an injured beast, Aoba would push him forward whether by hook or by crook.

“Well then, we’re done for the first part. Now we move to the second part which is today’s agenda. Did you bring what I asked you to buy?”

Mink blinked, “what?”

Aoba chuckled and brushed a lock of blue hair behind his ear. Mink’s sharp eyes trailed after those soft strands and for some strange reason he has this urge to reach out and touch them.

“You know, the thing I texted last night for you to buy?”

Mink sighed, for this week he hoped it’ll be library week again but… seemed like Aoba has other plans

“Here.”, Mink grabbed the plastic bag from his bag with an annoyance.

Aoba took the bag and fished out the content, _“Little Princess’ DIY toy Jewelry Crafts for Girls_. Yep, that’s about right.”  Aoba beamed at him.

Mink narrowed his eyes, “you plan to make me give this to some kid over there? Is our next lecture going to be about the good of gift giving?”

Aoba chuckled lightly and shook his head, “oh no, not at all. I was thinking how about we have a tea party with the ladies.”

“Ladies?”

Again Mink felt the dread washing down him when Aoba has that teasing smile. Beckoning Mink to follow his steps as they exited the park.

******

 “….This is a hospital.” Mink stated after he read the name plate.

They stood before a building that has painted murals from a children book and a pretty garden with playground.

“Yeah.”

“So we’re finally having our rehab session at your office?” Mink inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“Um… uh, no. This is not where I work. Actually we’re here for a visit. Remember last month’s news about the school bus accident?”

Mink took a moment then answered, “there were… three survivors.”

“Yes and we’re here to visit them, the triplets.”

Mink frowned, “are you teaching me about the beauty of charity now? I can just donate money and leave.”

“No! I mean, yes, money does help but we can do something _more_ meaningful to the children! Today I’m bringing you here to play with them because they must have been so lonely being bed bound for several weeks.“

“Play with them….”, the ex-soldier growled softly, “that’s pointless. They can just watch tv if they’re that bored.”

“True but Mink look at it this way, if you---“

“Aoba-chan? Aoba-chan! I’m so glad you arrived!

Mink saw a short plumpy woman with rimmed glasses in a nurse outfit was the source of that high pitch voice. She has a name badge pinned to her collar in the shape of a poodle’s head. Written in simple Hiragana that spelled _“Yo-shi-e”._

“Ah, Yoshie-san, you don’t really have to come out and greet us. We know our way around the ward.”, Aoba’s body language changed as he look  slightly nervous.

“I’m sorry Aoba-chan but I was so excited when you come over to visit the angels! My Clara-chan is watching over them right now, did you bring Ren-chan with you?”

A small unhappy whined can be heard from Aoba’s sling bag. The bundle of fluff didn’t raise his head and continued its useless attempt to hide in the bag.

“Excellent! Clara-chan will be so happy to have you help her out! She can get easily tired, the poor thing. Now… who is this?” The nurse eyed Mink from head to toe with interest. The tallest of the three resist the urge to roll his eyes when he’s in the presence of another dog maniac.

“Ah, let me introduce to you. He’s Mink, my… um, friend.”

Mink blinked. Wait, why didn’t Aoba say they’re patient and doctor?

“Oh! A friend from your night class, Aoba-chan? I’m so glad! I was worried when you’d just burry your nose in books after that time. It’s okay to study all the time but you don’t have to push yourself too hard. It must have been so hard on you, dearie.”

Aoba tensed up some more and laughed nervously, “haha, yeah I’m fine now. It’s all okay.  Now, um, let’s go inside, Yoshie-san! It’s getting cold! Okay?”

Mink trailed after the nervous Aoba and oblivious nurse into the building.

_Night classes? Studies?_

\-------

When Mink entered the place, the premise resembled an orphanage rather than a hospital room. Another nurse was in the room with a puppy that wore a necklace more expensive than Mink’s rent payment. But clearly both the nurse and puppy look overworked and the whole place seems understaffed too. Aoba didn’t release his hold on Mink until they stopped at corner of the room where they stood a few steps from the three girls. The triplets all sat around the table I silence. Only their hands were moving as they folded origami papers in the shape of animals. With a glance, Mink observed one of the girl has a bandaged forehead, the second with short bobbed hair had an arm cast while the smallest third child sat in a wheelchair with a cast leg.

Before they sat down, Aoba faced his patient and talked in a calm tone.

“Mink, I have observed that you’ve been getting better in your rehab. That’s why I brought you to this hospital run by my neighbor, Yoshie-san. We’re not going to spend a long time here, all we gonna do is play with these kids for 2 hours. Just remember to listen first then share what’s on your mind. Don’t forget to smile!”

Mink was unhappy but he understood this was part of his rehab session. That he needs to get out of his comfort zone and interact with people. One of Mink’s goals was to assimilate back to society but before he can interact with people his age, Aoba thought it’s a little easier to handle the smaller ones at first.

Well, that was Aoba’s thoughts.

Aoba began to wonder if his method of session is too soon when he saw how anxious Mink look like right now.

“I… can’t.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I can’t…handle kids well.”

Mink confirmed Aoba’s worry when he heard the words spoken between gritted teeth.

But Aoba remained firm as his held on the older man’s hand never loosened.

“Mink, what is your goal?”

“…..to be a… a-able to… shit, I just can’t. I’m leaving.”

Aoba grasped his arm firmly but not tightly. Dismissing to remind Mink of his goals and switched to another method.

“Just for an hour, I promise I’ll be by your side.”

Mink refused to look at Aoba’s earnest eyes.

“Just for an hour.” Aoba repeated, “if you can’t handle it anymore or want a break outside, tell me your safe word and we’ll leave immediately.”

Mink thought about it, glad that Aoba didn’t just threw him into the lion’s den and even provided a helping tool to get out of here if Mink can’t handle it anymore. Other people would have given up on his attitude but this young man was really dedicated to his job.

“ _‘Tori’._ ” Mink murmured as he felt his palms clammy.

Aoba didn’t laugh nor smile. He simply nodded at Mink’s safe word with a serious air of a professional.

“Good.” Now Aoba started the verbal reminder again to get Mink to focus now that he look less anxious, “this is what we’ll do. We’re going to play with these girls for an hour. The games we’ll play are crafting toy jewelries before their afternoon nap. You can just watch in the first and help the girls if they need their nurse to go to the toilet. I’ll talk to the girls but you’re free to join in the conversation. Okay?”

“……yeah.”

“Who are we visiting here, Mink?”

“T-three… school bus survivors.”

“What are we going to do with them?”

“Spend time… toy jewelries and then… nap.”

“And for what purpose we do all that?”

“To get myself used to… interacting with people.”

“Yes and we’re going to start with children first.”

A cloud of doubt still loomed over the patient, “….. What if I’ll accidentally scare… or hurt them?”

Aoba blinked then smiled warmly as he gently touched Mink’s arm, “remember when I told you that you’re the gentlest person I knew? you’re not scary or dangerous at all, Mink. I know because I’ve observed you the past several weeks now.  We can do this, together. I’ll be by your side to guide you.”

“…………………..”

Mink turned his eyes to the girls at the table, they almost resembled the village children… 

Remembering his goal once he’s done with his therapy session, Mink slowly nodded his agreement. Aoba sighed a relief with a big smile.

One thing about Aoba’s method was that he won’t start the session unless he received a green light from Mink himself. Sure Aoba is super stubborn but he always made sure to get Mink’s consent when proceeding with new therapy methods.

Right, he just need to bear with this for an hour. Aoba would be by his side and he has his safe word to get out of this situation if things get out of hand.

“Shall we start? I think the girls are curious why we’ve been standing his for several minutes now.”

Mink nodded though he still had a bad feeling about this...

******

Aoba sat comfortably in one of the colourful chairs. He smiled brightly at the triplets, “Hey there Saya-chan, Aki-chan and Naru-chan. Have you all been good girls to Yoshie-mama?”

The one with glasses nodded though her eyes never left Mink’s grumpy expression, “who’s that, Aoba-nii?”

“He’s my friend, Mink. Say hello, you three.”

“H-hello…” Saya and Aki said together in tiny voices, Naru hid behind her sister.

“Mink bought you all a present, want to see?”

At this the three immediately lighted up, “oh! What is it? What is it?”

Aoba gestured Mink to show the present and he sighed before placing it on the low table. The chair he sat on creaked with each movement. He wondered if he should sit on the floor or risk breaking the tiny furniture.

“Ooh, it’s so pretty and colourful!” Naru exclaimed loudly. Temporarily forgetting her shyness.

“Aoba nii-chan, you remembered our promise!” Saya looked so happy as they begun to tear the wrapping and unboxed the content.

“Of course I remember, now let’s start. Aki-chan, what do you want to make?”

“Uh… um… s-something cute!”

Aoba laughed and interpreted that as something which has heart shape beads in pastel colours. He was thinking of making a bracelet but he kept messing up the threads.

“Aoba-nii, you’re really bad at this.” Saya laughed as she’s already done with her star bracelet.

“Aww I want something like that! Aoba-nii, hurry!”, Aki complained!

“Yes, yes. Gimmie a sec.”

Mink finally spoke up as he inched closer to Aoba, “what’s wrong?”

“Um…” Aoba blushed when he took a scent of cinnamon, “t-the threads won’t tie up.”

“………is that a worm?” Mink raised an eyebrow at what Aoba was tangling and untangling for a while.

“It’s a necklace!”

“Looks like a worm. A pink one.”

Aoba pouted as he went back to fix his supposedly necklace worm while giving Mink his back to ignore him. Mink smirked, well it was the most gentlest jab as payback for bringing Mink as a playmate to these girls.

“Let me look at that.”

Aoba doubted Mink could do much but after a few minutes both Aoba and the girls saw him worked wonders on the knot.  After an hour and a half, Mink has successfully crafted three bangle names of the girls, two hair clips and even a brooch!

“Wow, you’re pretty good with crafting those bangles, Mink! They’re so cute!”

“I merely followed the instructions.” Mink answered as his hands never ceased to stop, “they were simple instructions that even a 5 year old could follow.” He jabbed at Aoba again.

Though to be honest Mink actually prefer to have something to work on with his fingers when he’s nervous. Maybe if they kept doing like this until the hour’s finish he doesn’t need to say his safe word. As Aoba did the talking, Mink felt comfortable just doing the hand work instead of joining in the conversation about Aki-chan’s adventure tale befriending the haughty Clara-chan.

Mink himself was surprise at the outcome of his crafted works. This was different from his old days of assembling a pair of guns blindfolded. It was… refreshing how he can create something that won’t harm anyone.

“Um…”

Mink looked up when he heard the sound of a wheelchair near him.

“That yellow hair clip with star… can... can I, um, see it?” Naru timidly asked with her hands fidgeting over her lap.

Mink blinked and the girl kept staring at his face, “what?”

Aoba moved close enough for a whisper, “Mink, she wants to have that clip. Give it to her and smile a bit.”

Listening to the instruction, Mink robotically gave her the small item but something worse happen.

Naru began to cry!

Mink’s heart beat fast as dread wash over him. He didn’t understand what just happened but seeing the girl reduced to tears sent him into a panic! He immediately grabbed Aoba’s sleeve and mouth the safe word “ _Tori! Tori!!”_

Aoba turned around from his talk with Saya, “what’s wrong, Mink?”

Mink couldn’t speak, he just gestured to Naru who sobbed softly.

Aoba immediately left Mink’s side and quickly asked, “oh dear, what’s the matter? Naru-chan, does your stomach hurt?”

The girl shook her head as she did the unthinkable! She began to angrily claw her own arms!!

Mink was horrified to see she harmed herself that way yet Aoba remained calm and gently grabbed her wrists to stop her actions, “Naru, no. Don’t do that again. You remember that it really hurt during bath time right? Stop.”

Every eyes in the room began to focus on Mink.

Actually they were all curious what happened that made Naru cried again this time.

But to the former soldier, he felt all judgmental eyes were on him. He made a girl cry, he didn’t even need to raise his hand nor his voice. Just his presence alone was enough to make him so despicable .

Immediately he stood up and stomped out the room as if demons were at his heels!

“Mink? Oh no, Mink! Wait!”

Aoba’s calls were ignored as if his friend never heard him at all…

***********

The sun already set but Aoba kept running across the streets.

“Mink! Mink~! Where are you?”

He called out but no one answered him back. Only strange looks from students that were on their way home.

“Ren, any leads so far?”

“Woof!”

The pup sniffed around and began running. Aoba chased after his pet, glad that Ren remembered Mink’s scent enough to find his current whereabouts. Back at the hospital, Mink left and didn’t wait for Aoba. The doctor thought Mink would be at the hospital roof or somewhere he could hide, away from prying eyes.

“This is all my fault. I overestimated Mink’s state of mind and thought he could handle this new challenge. Argh! No time to self-blame right now! I have to explain to Mink quick about what happened before it’s too late--- eh? Here?” the doctor skidded to a halt.

Ren barked happily in reply as he sat right in front of Mink’s apartment building.

“He went straight home? Oh man…”

Part of Aoba want to leave Mink alone since he already caused so much damage today.

But the other side of Aoba, the stubborn side of him, wanted to see Mink.

His urge to see Mink was so strong, Aoba was already half way up the stairs when he realized it!

“Mink? Mink! It’s me, Aoba.”

The doctor knocked the door after he rang the bell once he reached the rickety old door.

The place was as silent as a tomb.

“Mink? It’s me, Aoba! I want to talk to you!”

Aoba shouted a little louder, thinking Mink was probably inside but couldn’t hear him.

Several minutes later, the youth was convinced Mink was ignoring him rather than not hearing his calls.

“Now I’ve gone and done it. What should I do? Mink must be really angry at me right now…”, Aoba slid down to the floor and rested his back against the door. Ren jumped onto his lap.

Ren immediately licked Aoba’s face to comfort him.

“Heheh, thanks Ren.”  Aoba stood up and turned around to face the door. If Mink refused to meet him then he’ll just invite himself in.

Aoba readied his stance to kick the door down when suddenly… the door opened by itself.

“Mink!”

Aoba smiled happily, Mink opened the door for him on his own and they can finally sort things out---

“W-woah! What the---“

Aoba got pushed to the side as Mink exited the apartment.

Realization finally drawn on him when Aoba got his balance back. Mink wasn’t opening the door to welcome the doctor in. He was leaving the house!

“Hey! Wait, Mink!”

Again Mink didn’t slow down nor turn around to face his doctor. He walked and walked, down the stairs, out the streets, round the corners, he kept walking until Aoba lost sight of him.

“Oh no! Where did he go now?” Aoba panted as he stopped to take a breath.

That evening Aoba ran around like a madman searching for Mink but he gave up and returned home when it was nearing midnight and Ren was almost ran over by a car. The next day Aoba thought Mink would show up for their session meet up but the guy was late. In fact he never appeared!

Aoba went back to Mink’s apartment, to confront the man and explain about the girl’s bad habit. But Mink again left his home. Not once he looked at Aoba nor speak to him. Getting tired of this chasing game, Aoba decided to stay put at Mink’s home and determined to corner his patient until they have a real talk.

“Oh, welcome home Mink. I’m so glad you’re okay---“

Mink, the moment he returned to his apartment and saw Aoba approached him from the couch, he has this panicked look and went straight to his room. 

“M-Mink…”

This wouldn’t be the first occurrence.

Mink kept avoiding Aoba day and night. During dawn he’d leave early and only returned home very late. He hoped Aoba’d gave up and leave. But Mink didn’t know how stubborn his doctor could be. Aoba wasn’t deterred and he stayed at Mink’s apartment for almost three weeks. He went back once to pack his bags of clothes while the rest of his days he waited for Mink to come home, cooked for his breakfast and when Mink ignored that too, the food became Aoba’s dinner for the night.

Of course it wasn’t only silence that communicated between them. Whenever Mink locked himself inside his room, Aoba would sit in front of his door and explained.

“Mink… hey I know you’re not sleeping. Listen… it wasn’t your fault. Naru… she has a bad habit of hurting herself when she’s extremely agitated. We were careless, we thought she already stopped this habit since she hasn’t done it the past months. You’re not the cause of triggering her bad habit. Did you hear me, Mink? It wasn’t your fault.” Aoba emphasized loud and clear.

“She was actually angry at herself…”, he patted Ren’s soft fur that slept on his lap and continued, “Naru-chan is a really shy child. But she wanted to get better and be friends with new people. However when she’s really nervous, she’s too tense to speak. That day when you gave her the hair clip, she was trying to tell you _‘thank you.’_ But how she failed to speak up repeatedly made her, well, you know what happen after that.”

Still, there was only silence that could be heard from the other side of the door.

Aoba bit his lower lip and hugged his pet tight, “l-look… I’m sorry I was too hasty and our previous session. I should have let you socialize with people who are easier for you to relate. You know, I have a friend named Mizuki. He’s a great guy who makes great cocktail drinks. Too bad I can’t enjoy his concoctions too much but maybe one day we can drop by his place?”

There was the sound of coughing from inside the room. Or that was what Aoba assumed he heard. In this old building there were rumors of haunted rooms and creepy old woman waiting at the corner of the elevators.

“… Mink, I’m really sorry I made you feel anxious and stressed that day. But it’s not the end yet. I messed up, yes, but allow me to help you again. Don’t give up on me here because _I_ never once gave up on you. I know deep inside you is a gentle person. Your PTSD is not who you are. PTSD is curable and you will visit your family’s resting place like a respected soldier that you are. Please come out and let us do this all over again.”

“……………………..”

“Mink…”

Aoba thought he has spoken enough. He almost blurted out embarrassing words like; _“ I want to see you.”_ Or _“ I forgot when was the last time we jogged together or even talked to each other… I want to hear your voice again, please.”_

Reluctantly the doctor pulled himself away from the door and went back to the couch. He’ll try again tomorrow.

But doubt began to cloud Aoba’s heart.

Will Mink ever forgive him and try again? Or will Mink quit and kick Aoba out of the apartment?

The youth thought about all these worrying questions until eventually he fell asleep. He didn’t even stir awake when Ren licked the moist trail of tears from his cheeks…

**********

Someone was screaming.

Someone was screaming and it took Mink several seconds to realize it was he himself that screamed.

It was hot.

It was unbearably hot, it felt as if his own blood was boiling!

The noises of gunshots could be heard in the air, a few fatally hit his stomach and left shoulder. He screamed in pain and clutched his wounds but when he pulled back his hand, there was… no blood?

“Urgh!”

Mink got pushed to the side roughly, then a dozen of feet stomped on him as a crowd of people ran for their lives. Mink had to cover his head with his arms from being stepped on. He couldn’t see anything, smoke fires burned his lungs and screams tore at his ears.

_“Please! Please don’t shoot me!”_

_“Mommy, mommy I’m scared!”_

_“Help!!”_

But the gunshots never ceased.

More soldiers came, they doubled. Tripled.

One by one he witnessed bodies fell to the blood drenched their mother earth one by one.

_Why…?_

_Why was this happening?_

“STOP! DON’T SHOOT! PLEASE… PLEASE STOP SHOOTING!!!!” he begged.

_“Heeeelp!”_

One child was running away from a soldier and Mink dashed to protect the child with his own body. But suddenly metal chains emerged from the ground and snaked around his ankles!

“W-what?!”

He yanked his feet as hard as he could, not caring if he’d dislocate his limb.  But the more he struggled, the more those chains snaked up around his body and constricted him tighter! He couldn’t move nor speak as the chains had now wrapped around his mouth and eyes! Hunched over, Mink no longer hear sounds of gunshots nor screams. Where was he now? Is this a chair he’s sitting on? What was going on? Extreme despair washed over him. Being chained like this he couldn’t rescue anyone.

**“MINK!”**

The moment he heard that pleasant voice…  the chains turned into feathers.

With no chains around his mouth, Mink gasped loudly as if he almost drown in the ocean! Opening his eyes, he no longer saw the fiery hell of his past but his sparsely decorated bedroom. His pet bird perched on one of the chair and a small puppy sat near his leg on the bed. He turned his head to look at the person who stood beside his bed. He already knew who it was without looking, after all only one person smelled like the blue wind.

“Mink! I’m so glad you’re awake.” Aoba sighed a relief, his big eyes moist and with a tint of red.

Mink weakly sat up on the bed and felt his throat hurt. It was only a nightmare, although this time a really horrible one because it has been awhile he suffered a nightmare this extreme. The chains felt all too real and it was as if he died in his sleep.

“Mink? Are you okay?” Aoba noticed the soldier’s sluggish movement as he tried to sit up. The doctor reached out to help him with the pillows to rest on and gasped when he felt Mink’s temperature!

“You’re burning!” Aoba palmed Mink’s forehead and cheeks, his fingers felt deliciously cool to his body.

“It’s nothing.” He growled and he coughed at his dry neck

“So it was you who coughed so much that time! Damn I thought I went crazy or something there hearing things or the ghosts finally got the better or me! Anyway! I need to get some medicine for you and some wate--- “ Aoba turned and gasped again when he saw Mink’s bed side table, “these Xanax pills and cigarettes! So that’s what you’ve been buying from the drug store!”

Cursing silently, Mink tried to dismiss the doctor. “I said it’s nothing. Leave my room now.  How did you even get inside?” he demanded exhaustively.

Aoba merely stepped aside to show what he did to Mink’s door that got kicked down. Then the doctor sternly instructed , “if I knew you were sick I’d have kicked down that door sooner.  Stay here, doctor’s orders.”

********

“Mink, I brought your rice broth!”, Aoba announced as he entered the room.

Mink was awake and currently he sat up with a lot of pillows on his back. He got sick from avoiding his doctor and not taking care of his health well, it was only a mild fever but still Aoba fussed over him like a mother hen. Mink gave up scaring Aoba to leave him alone and reluctantly accept the food. Mink ate slowly in silence, Aoba waited by the chair beside the bed like a loyal maid. Hands ready for the glass of cool water or if Mink wanted a second helping.  Only after he finished the whole portion did the former soldier broke the silence between them.

“That girl….”

Aoba blinked when he was in the middle of opening the windows to let in fresh air, “hmm?”

Mink put down his spoon and began, “that girl… the one who asked for the hair clip from me. I don’t understand why would she try her hardest to express her gratitude for someone like me. If she snatched the hair clip from me, I wouldn’t even get mad at her.”

Aoba widened his eyes then smiled softly as he went back to sit on Mink’s bed, he was trying to hold back tears that Mink finally… finally talking back to him like old times.

“Remember when I told you about if you do good things to others, you’ll be treated the same way? Naru-chan was taught to be a good girl and learned her manners. She wanted to be your friend.”

“…..she should be scared of me. I… I’m not worthy…”

Avoidance, anxiousness, emotionally numb and now this state of negativity.

Aoba was ashamed to call himself a doctor when Mink were displaying all normal signs of someone experiencing PTSD. He should have had a leveled head and act with well thought decisions instead of getting his emotions the better of him.

Mink is curable. PTSD is definitely curable as long as they work together.

 “You are worth it. In her eyes you are truly worth it. Besides, it’s the first time I saw Naru-chan approach another adult who is not Yoshie-san or me. I think it’s amazing how you do it, Mink.”

“I…. did nothing. There’s nothing amazing about it.”

Aoba smiled, “you are amazing.”

“No.”

“Yes you are. Let’s recap on our previous session. You came on time and you did well in greeting the girls politely.”

“They just said hello while I stared back at them back like a fool.”

“You sat down with us, you were polite when listening to our conversation.”

“Tch.”

“ You made her a beautiful hair clip. You’re pretty good at it too.”

This time Mink look almost persuaded yet not entirely convinced, “……I guess.”

Aoba smiled wider, “yes! It was amazing how you crafted those jewels so quickly but prettily, Mink. Thank you!”

“………”

“You’re amazing, I’m glad we get to meet the girls that time. But next time, we’ll go to a more quieter place with a more adult friend to talk with. Okay?”

Aoba trailed off when he noticed Mink stared at him, “W-what is it?”

The wind that blew from the window lightly brush against Aoba’s soft strands and Mink’s honey eyes trailed after the fluttering long blue locks of hair.

“It’s nothing.” He gave the bowl back to Aoba, “that was too salty.”

Aoba blushed and explained, “eh? Really? I’m so sorry! I thought it was sugar that I added! I’ll get your water right now!”

Aoba immediately stood up to fetch it as he dashed out of the room.  The ex-soldier sighed until his eyes caught sight of something fallen on the floor. It was a plastic bag full of rubbish such as tissues and a box. Mink studied the familiar box. By now he almost forgot about its existence but his dizziness made him unable to focus that he just put the box inside his drawer nearby.

He intended to crawl back to bed but his head was so dizzy he nearly collapsed.

“Oh no! Mink! Are you ok?”

Immediately Aoba returned from the kitchen and was at his side. The older man had so much trouble speaking that he just held onto his aching head. Aoba didn’t ask any more question as he grabbed Mink’s arm.

“Here, hold onto me. I’ll help you to your bed.”

Mink widened his eyes from this close proximity he felt Aoba’s warmth from his arm and the softness of the youth’s hair from his own cheek. It felt so soft that when Mink lied down on bed, he snatched a chance to caress a lock of Aoba’s hair.

“Stay there and let me get a new pair of pajamas for you ok? Be right back!”

**********

Aoba nursed Mink so well that his fever broke the next few days! He sweated so much but at least he no longer move sluggishly like a sloth. Even the dizzy spells were almost gone and his sharp sense of smell came back to normal.  Previously when Mink got sick, he had to nurse himself and it felt like the headaches and achy joints would last forever.  He was grateful that he didn’t suffer anymore nightmares since that time Aoba woke him up. Mink didn’t want Aoba to hear what he might have blurted out during his sleep but… Aoba was his doctor.

Perhaps…. It’s about time he stopped being stubborn with his doctor.

Aoba’s presence seemed to have kept his demons and past nightmares at bay. Mink could still recall how during his haze of awake and sleepiness from the antibiotic pills, Aoba was constantly by his side. Wiped his sweat dry with a cloth, change his napkin on his forehead, get him water and cooked edible soup this time.

Rather than empty dreams, the last images Mink recalled from his last sleep was… a scene of an idyllic life. With a beautiful, warm person by his side who called his name sweetly from the kitchen. Mink somehow knew who that faceless beauty was and it was not his former fiancé.

At this he stared down at his palm.

“I can’t feel anything.”

 He murmured to himself. His fingers were so numb and roughen up by past deeds of holding weapons and punching enemies, Mink was not able to feel Aoba’s soft hair. Frowning, Mink disliked this feeling. He wanted to know. He wanted to know Aoba’s warmth and softness. With a heavy sigh, he climbed out of his bed and heard the flutter of wings from his bed post. Mink padded his way to the kitchen and saw a note on the kitchen table.

_[ I have to go somewhere and meet someone. There are sliced fruits in the fridge, help yourself. – S.A]_

Mink put away the note and grabbed the chilled plate of fruits and went back to his bedroom. He sat down at his study table and reach for the drawer to fish out the box he found.

 “………………..”

Mink unboxed the content and studied the colour of the beads and ribbons.

It was the same box of toy craft jewelries that Mink bought for the girls weeks ago.

They were so small yet… interesting. His younger sister liked to craft jewelries in the past, as one of the hunters in the tribe, Mink had little time to appreciate the simplicity of these materials. Dismissing it as a woman’s thing just like how he thought it was silly that they got excited over birthdays and presents.

Yet, why was it satisfying to see those little girls’ reaction when they witnessed how he successfully created bangles and necklaces? They acted as if Mink has just given them the best gift. Especially Aoba’s smile of approval. These hands of his that has been drenched by the blood of his enemy… they’re still capable of gift giving? Can someone who felt committed past crime be allowed to do such charity again? An image of a smiling Aoba popped into mind, Mink liked it when Aoba smiled for him. Intrigued over this discovery, Mink proceed to rummage over his borrowed books from the library and read up about relevant topics on jewelries. He didn’t stop there and even browsed online as his has a plan in mind.

\---------------------

Mink was so engrossed with his reading and choosing which bead from the stash that he almost jumped at the call of Aoba’s voice.

“Mink! I’ve arrived, where are you?”

Aoba padded his way to where Mink was but the veteran quickly stood up and hid his study table behind him. Blocking Aoba’s view. The doctor cocked his head to the side but smiled up at him with grocery bag in hand.

“I bought dinner, let’s eat!”

Mink was silent before he spoke up, “…….Before that… there’s something I want to do to you.”

“Eh? To me?,”wait, why did he blushed all of a sudden?

“Yes. Go sit at that couch and wait for me.” Mink instructed before he closed his bedroom door.

********************

Aoba didn’t expect the wait would last about half an hour. But still he waited on the couch obediently and jumped slightly when he heard the sound of Mink’s bedroom swung open. The veteran carried with him a box into the living room and blinked in confusion.

 “What’s that?”

Mink avoided the question and instead instructed the young man, “turn around with your back facing me.”

“O-oh okay.”

Aoba nervously obeyed as he hugged Ren out of habit when he’s feeling unsure. All he heard behind him was Mink opening the box… and then silence.

“M-Mink? “

Aoba gasped softly when he felt the slightest caress at his hair.

“Aoba, I want to fix your hair. May I?”

Taken aback by Mink’s way of not beating around the bush, Aoba was almost at a lost on how to reply. Because why would Mink want to touch his messy hair in the first place?

“Huh? um, s-sure?” he answered in an uncertain tone.

Mink look enthralled, “this won’t take long.”

This time he caressed Aoba’s hair with his knuckles and it was the softest sensation he ever touched. Mink wanted to do it again, to indulge his greed of running his hands through Aoba’s hair. Memorizing it and studying the shade of the colour. Engraving it to his memory since he’s beginning to like waking up with dreams of Aoba instead of fires and screams.

Usually Aoba disliked it when people touched his hair on top of being mistaken as a girl. But for some reason he’s too tongue tied to reject Mink at the moment. The doctor closed his eyes as he felt large hands gathered his hair together. It was a little ticklish but not unpleasant. He liked how Mink gently used his fingers as a comb, making Aoba shivered a bit when the fingers accidentally touched his neck.

Falling into a comfortable silence, the two listened to the quiet pitter patter of raindrops outside the window…

*******

“Done.”

“O-oh, thank… wait a minute.”

Aoba looked side to side at his shoulders to see his hair in braids, not in a ponytail. Reaching up to the back of his head, he felt small tiny…

Quickly the doctor ran to the nearest mirror hung on the wall by the entrance door. Mink followed after the smaller man as he gave Aoba a hand held mirror to help him view the back of his head. What Aoba saw in his reflection made the younger man speechless for a few seconds.

“……………w….wow! Mink, these are the same beads from that… you… you even used the ribbons! They’re so… so…”

Mink waited anxiously. Was it… s _o repulsive? Disgusting?_

“Pretty! They’re very pretty! I love them, Mink! Thank you!”

“…..Hmph.”

It was Mink’s usual gruff reply but this time it sounded less grumpy and more like he didn’t know what else to reply.

“Thank you, Mink! I truly love them!”, he repeated, “Oh, where do you buy these pink feathers?”

“From Huracan.”

“Huracan?”

The bird flapped its wing as it primed himself.

“That Huracan.” Mink pointed with his chin as a mere explanation.

Aoba looks so happy. Mink name his pet bird and he excitedly turn around to touch his big hands, “Huracan huh? What does it mean?”

Mink reached for the book at his coffee table and flip the pages until it’s almost at the end of the book. Aoba read the heading of the chapter and it shows a marvelous mural painting from a civilization long lost.

“The Mayans.”

“I named him after one of the Creator, whenever he wants to be let out and fly, no matter if it’s about to rain or cloudy, the sky will clear up as if by his command. For him to freely fly as he wish, the little bastard.”

Aoba laughed and it was the nicest sound Mink ever heard. He sounded cute that Mink can’t help but reach out to touch the beads gently.

“You really like it?”

“Of course!”

“…………..”

“Mink?”

“If… you want, I can braid your hair like this again.”

As much as Aoba wanted to jump into the offer, he quickly reeled himself back and checked his manners, “that would be great! In return what would you like me to do?”

“Nothing. I just want you to sit quietly next time. You were moving too much some of the braids almost come loose.”

He observed and proceeded to fix one of the braids from Aoba’s left ear. Making the therapist close his eyes since he can feel the warmth of Mink’s fingers.

“S-sorry but it’s just that I can’t help it when it tickles.”

“Hmph.”

“But still, I want to do something as thank you for this…” he fondly touched the braided locks with feathers, “How about I cook for you?”

“…..you don’t have to do this. I’m not hungry.”

“What are you saying? I mean, look at those mugs on your table! When was the last time you ate other than the sliced fruits I prepared from this morning?”

“…………”

“I thought so, well since we’re here and the rain’s out there, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll cook for us, what do you feel like having?”

Mink raised an eyebrow with skeptical eyes, “Should I be worried? Last time you made rice broth and you almost made me sicker with the salt.”

Aoba gasped and tried to defend himself, “that was a pure mistake! Let me tell you that I’m actually pretty good! Ren enjoys my delicious cooking! Right, Ren?”

The puppy wiggled out of his hands and scurried away.

Mink chuckled, “Delicious cooking, huh?”

“Oh just you wait! I’ll whip you a good meal you’ll ask for more!”

As Mink followed Aoba into the kitchen, the older man began to wonder a life where Aoba will fuss over his health. But immediately he beat the beautiful image from his mind. That sweet dream he had… how foolish of him in hoping it’ll ever come true in the future.

Because Mink believed that for Aoba, he was nothing more than just another patient in his job.

Mink was just another job for Aoba, nothing more nothing less.

*****

***************

***********************

To be continue?


	4. Session 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again thank you to Spades for the constructive feedback and being my beta reader!

 CHAPTER 4

\-----------------

“SQUAWK!”

“Hush.” Mink gently scolded his pet as it landed on his shoulder. 

Coughing lightly, he pulled his jacket to keep himself warm from the cold air. He just recovered from his fever and although he was ordered not to leave his bed for the time being, Mink wanted to complete this errand no matter what. Carrying a bag in his other hand, he looked down at the address displayed on his coil. His doctor’s home address should be around this corner---

_“Look, I don’t want to be involved in that anymore. I just want to live a hassle free life.”_

_“Come now, Aoba-san. We’re your biggest fans. Play with us again.”_

_“Yeah, play with us.”_

Two tall blondes were surrounding the youth against the wall nearby. Mink didn’t recognize either of them but the look of their clothes, they don’t seem like your friendly neighbors. Aoba looked annoyed but trapped. His body language showed how he wanted to get out of this with the least damage as possible.  Mink gripped his bag tight, instantly he remembered back in his prison days when bored inmates ganged up on their chosen victim…

“We can give you everything you want.” Glasses Blonde insisted.

“Everything.” Tall Blonde parroted.

“You two…” Aoba sighed angrily.

Mink stepped in and was about to rescue the doctor when he witnessed something he never saw before. Aoba has his hand in glasses guy’s collar! A murderous look from Aoba’s usual warm, hazel eyes. They look like a tiger's glare, ready for the kill!

“I said leave me the fuck alone already.” Aoba snarled.

Mink almost took a step back. Was this the same cheery doctor he was working with? It felt like Aoba was another person just now. Glasses Guy merely smirked. His companion merely whistled instead of scared to see the sight. Nor was he trying to help his friend.

“Ah yes, that look. We missed seeing that.”

“We missed it.”

“Stop messing with me ever again and get out of my sight!”

Aoba raised his other hand and was about to blow a punch when suddenly he saw a familiar figure approaching the three of them. Immediately the teenager loosened his grip and shivered, “M-Mink?”

Mink glared daggers at the smiling duo. Are they twins? He concluded no for both has different scent unlike real siblings. The soldier only glanced at them when he focused on Aoba’s state. Despite his surprise to see Aoba can fight a man twice his size, thankfully he was unharmed.

“Who is this, Aoba-san? A friend of yours?” Glasses Blonde asked as he caressed his sore neck after Aoba released his hold.

“Yeah, who’s he?”

Aoba stuttered, still surprised that Mink was here.

Mink raised an eyebrow. Aoba’s not wearing his usual white jacket and jeans today but a dark uniform with cap. What was that written on the cap, _Heibon?_

“Um, uh, he’s… he’s my…”

Mink wondered why won’t Aoba just explain that they’re doctor and patient? Or was there a reason why Aoba hid their relationship from these shady men in black? If that’s the case… Stepping close, Mink wrapped an arm around Aoba with his palm on the youth’s shoulder.

“He has some business with me.”

Aoba blushed hard as his face got pushed to Mink’s warm chest, “M-Mink…”

“Business, you say?”, Glasses Blonde asked with interest, “Oh we’re dreadfully sorry to intervene during your meet up.” He apologized though it hardly sounded apologetic.

“Really sorry.” Tall Blonde parroted.

Casually backing away, the two waved good bye, “see you, Aoba-san. If you’re bored, you know where to find us.”

“Find us, Aoba.”

Mink turned his eyes to witness Aoba just looked a shade paler at those words. Just who the heck are those creeps?

“Oi, you okay?”

Aoba’s shoulders jumped at Mink’s deep voice and forced a smile, “y-yeah! Thank you, Mink. Sorry you had to rescue me there haha… ha.”

Mink cocked his head to the side. Somehow he knew Aoba could take care of those two on his own without Mink’s help. He was more surprised that someone like Aoba knows how to fight. Do therapist have time for some self defense lessons? The way Aoba moved reminded Mink of those guerrilla tactics. Basically punch, hit, stab, bite and do anything to your opponent til you come out as victor. Rules and weapon restrictions be damned. In other words Aoba’s body movement and his intent to kill just now was like a street punk rather than a professional martial artist.

Mentally shaking his head from his wandering thoughts, he focused his gaze on Aoba’s eyes.

“Who are they?" then Mink glanced down the youth's body again for inspection, "have they actually hurt you?”

Aoba looked away, “they’re… no one. Please don’t mind it. I’m not hurt.”

“Are you sure? If they do harmed you, I’ll go after them right this instant.”

Aoba has this strange look on his face, “w-why?”

“What do you mean by why?”

The doctor looked mystified again, “w..why would you go so far for me?”

Mink frowned, “I… I don’t know. I felt that… If they hurt you, I’ll make sure not even their mothers can't recognize their faces once I’m done with them.”

Hearing that, Aoba felt warmth surrounding his chest but the next second a sort of guilt marred his face.

“Oi, what’s wrong?”, Mink reached up to caress Aoba’s cheeks with his knuckles before he could stop himself

Aoba bit his lower lip and forced a laugh, “n-no. It’s nothing.  Thank you for rescuing me, Mink. They were just… annoying salaryman trying to sell stuffs to me. Drugs maybe. Nothing serious.”

Mink narrowed his eagle eyes, not buying it at all, “really?”

Aoba panicked, “yes! Yes of course. Oh, why are you here actually? I thought I told you to stay in bed.”

Mink showed him the bag he was carrying, “I wanted to return the books I borrowed from the library and since it’s near your home address, I was thinking of visiting your grandmother too along the way.”

“O-oh! I see, um... but today’s not a good day. She’s... out.”

“Again? Why do I feel like she hardly stay at home?”

Aoba nervously laughed, “oh man, I’m really hungry! Would you like to eat with me at this yummy Ramen stall? My treat!”

Before Mink could question, Aoba was already pulling him out of the street.

**************

After that strange event, things fell into a predictable tempo for the next few weeks. Aoba would come over and checked up on Mink’s progress. Namely having morning jogs three times a week, read his written journal, feed Huracan together, enjoyed their afternoon time in the park with book and even visited the girls at the hospital properly this time.

Aoba was so diligent and extremely supportive with Mink, that the doctor didn’t realize Mink had been observing him as well. Such as it never miss Mink’s attention how Aoba would slightly be nervous when the topic was about him. When Mink inquired about his background or when he wanted to pay Aoba for their previous sessions, the younger man brushed it off saying Mink can just pay another time, or that his office at the hospital was currently under renovations for their session hence why Mink can’t go there yet. Plus, Mink didn’t get the chance to question Aoba further when the doctor often had new places to go nearly weekly.

Aoba had this persuasive talent within him to make Mink do what he’d never do, get out of his comfort zone. The doctor would pull Mink by the arms if necessary to get him off his butt and walk forward. He has endless patience and full of support like he was Mink’s cheerleader himself. Praising Mink’s efforts enthusiastically even if they’re just baby steps. When the former soldier has a breakdown or needed some time to pause, Aoba would be there by his side and be his voice of reason. The doctor always deals with Mink in three steps.

First is _Validation_ , he’ll say to the soldier that it’s okay you’re hurt and want to feel better. Aoba reassured Mink can call the doctor in the middle of the night anytime whenever his anxiety took over. They’d talk for hours until Mink calmed down, even if the sun already raised into the horizon. Aoba patiently and earnestly helped Mink get used to normal civilian life again. It took a lot of time and dedication between the both of them. Although it wasn’t as bad as before, at least Aoba looked out for triggers that would set off Mink’s panic attacks. They’re still working on Mink’s uneasiness at the sight of lit candles, scent of smoke and insomnia. Turned out the books Mink borrowed from the library had home made remedies on sleep relaxations. Aoba has heard from his patient that he’s been experimenting and working on herbal antidotes that’ll ease his sleep, a much better option than Xanax. 

Second is _Reassurance,_ when he’d tell Mink that Mink himself can handle this pain, even though it hurts and Mink doesn’t like it. Lastly is _Perspective Talking_ , where Aoba will keep reminding and reminding Mink that Mink has had bad days like this before and he can go through them 100%. He survived in the past. He’ll survive again this time too.

**_*Ring* *ring*_ **

Mink opened the door and he almost dropped the mug of coffee he was holding, “Oh it’s you.”

“You look like I’m the landowner demanding rent payment. Can’t I have a little smile at least?” Aoba pretended to look offended as he nervously carried the ceramic pot of food.

“I thought today’s session is over. Did I do so badly that you wanted remedial lessons?”

“No, I came after work hours so I have another reason why I came here…” Aoba blushed as he faked a cough, “I cooked too much for dinner and I was wondering if you want to eat with me? I even cooked some for Huracan.”

“In other words you want to make amends for last time’s disaster.”

“Hey! It wasn’t a disaster, I just mixed up the salt with sugar.” He blushed at his lame defense.

Mink sighed before peering at the pot Aoba carried, he was planning to close the door on Aoba’s face but instead turned in his heels with the door open. “Suit yourself.”

 “I’m glad you remembered some of my lessons on polite etiquette.” Aoba sarcastically commented but happily stepped into Mink’s home anyway.

A bird flapped over his head and perched on Aoba’s shoulder, “Oh hey there Huracan! Did you ruin Mink’s shoes again?”

The bird replied by tugging at the braided strands of hair.

It didn’t miss Mink’s attention too, “……You’re still wearing the bead decorations and ribbons I bought from yesterday.”

“O-oh, yeah. Because I… I really like them and it’ll be a waste to take them off so soon.”

“……….They do suit you.”

“Eh?”

**_*Ring Ring*_ **

“Sorry, it’s mine.”

Aoba quickly put the pot on the kitchen table before checking the number displayed on his coil. But a grim expression marred his face instantly.

Mink was beside Aoba and accidentally he saw the screen label, _“Green Island Cram School”._

_Cram school?_

Aoba didn’t notice Mink peeping since his attention was directed to rejecting the call before switching off the device. After that he placed the coil on the kitchen counter. Mink noticed Aoba lost his cheery mood when the shorter man immediately swooped Ren up in his arms and cuddled him like a teddy bear.

“Oi.”

"..........."

"Oi!"

“Y-yes? What is it, Mink?”, Aoba gasped softly, snapped out of his world.

“……The food will get cold. Let’s eat now.” Mink cursed himself. He wanted to ask what’s wrong but he couldn’t do it. Aoba is just his doctor. Whatever personal worries he has got nothing to do with Mink. Aoba’s only here because of his job.

“E-eh.. oh, right. Sorry, I spaced out.” Aoba smiled but it looked sad. Mink had to control himself before reaching out to him in hopes of comforting the young man.

Focus, Aoba is just doing his job.

Mink is just another patient in the list.

See Aoba as a tool to get better. Not to be attached to him.

He is just a tool.

****************

After eating, Aoba’s mood lightened up a bit as he began to get chatty again.

“Hey Mink, I realized you no longer wear that long jacket coat thing again. This light brown button up shirt you’re wearing now looks better.”

Mink turned his sight to the old and torn military jacket hung on the wall, “that jacket was from my military days.”

“I see… were you hurt on the arm? The sleeve is ripped there…”, Aoba worriedly examined Mink’s biceps for any old scars or wounds. Trying hard not to be distracted by the muscles despite wearing long sleeves.

“No, there used to be a _Toue_ _Army_ emblem on it, but I ripped it off after I left the troop.”

“Toue? Mink, you were part of the Oval Tower Army Defense troop? I thought you were from America.”

“I am but I enlisted myself almost 12 years ago here.”

Aoba can’t figure out a man like Mink would brave the gunfires for a man like Toue.

 “Oh, I see. You know I’m always curious about your army days, Mink. But… I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.”

Aoba didn’t want to hear Mink recall sad memories, he wants to hear about young Mink when he was training with his comrades. When he learned about weaponry and battle tactic formations. To be exact, Aoba wanted to know more about Mink’s past. Just the image of a young, gentle Mink looking sharp in his new uniform gives Aoba the tingles.

“I’m no longer on active duty.”

“Y-yes I know, because you’re recovering from a health condition and took medical leave.”

Leave it to Aoba to sugarcoat his anxiety. On the other hand, Aoba is being careful of his words because he knew how some soldiers can take their loyalty to the extreme. Even though their leader is anything but a great man.

“You must have been so sad when Toue passed away. The official news didn’t release much information but I heard he fell in the line of duty.”

Mink blinked when he heard that. He look up to Aoba’s face and his lips move before his brain stop him.

“No, in fact I was exhilarated when he died.”

“Eh?”

“Toue died because someone tore him up with a Colt Automatic Riffle.”

Aoba’s was stunned, how can Mink know such detail?

“Mink… did you… were you involved… in the assassination of---“

“I pulled the trigger on him. If possible I want to raise him from the dead just so I can murder him all over again.”

“M-Mink…”

“………Are you afraid of me now, Aoba?”

Aoba froze.

“I’m capable of taking another life. That’s why I don’t understand why you and Naru look at me as if I’m human.”

The doctor stood up slowly and Mink stilled his heart. He knew this is going to happen. Aoba will walk out of his house and never come back. Mink will be alone for the rest of his life with memories of a certain blue wind that he himself doesn’t allow to keep as his.

Why did he tell the youth about his crime?

Because Mink doesn’t want to be attached to the beautiful man.

He needs to scare him away, to show Aoba he himself is nothing more than an evil spirit. A former human that has the scent of death as it hungered for revenged in the past.

 “Mink.” Aoba said in a calm tone while maintaining eye contact, “that was the first time you said my name.”

The older man blinked at Aoba’s reply, “Wha—“

“I’m so happy, you called Naru and the other girls by their names. I was even starting to get jealous.” The doctor chuckled. 

*******

At the couch in front of the fireplace, both of them sit together with a cup of hot drink in their hands.

“Aoba, so you knew all along?”

“No, not entirely. Before we met in person, I once contacted the army you stationed at and they gave me contact number of the prison wardens too. I found out your reason for being in prison was for murder, but I didn’t expect it was you who took Toue’s life. I should be thanking you, really.”

“Hah, people usually thank soldiers for their service in the army of defending the country. Not for selfish reasons such as revenge on your own army captain.”

“Nobody really liked Toue in old town Midorijima anyway, so I see you as a national hero, Mink. Thank you.”

Mink was still surprised how Aoba wasn’t scared of him.

“You really want to know why I joined the army?”

“Yes, but I understand if you don’t want to. I’m just being nosy and…” Aoba mumbled into Ren’s furry head to hide his embarrassment.

“Hmph… it’s not some heroic story. I joined the army because it was only their uniform I remembered.” He gestured to the worn out military jacket hung on the wall.

After that he took out a small suitcase and opened it to show Aoba the content.

Burnt photos, ceremonial dagger, blackened bangles and a bronze key.

“Mink… these are..?”

“Belongings of my family members, including this.” Mink showed the pipe he used to smoke.

“Mink’s… family…”

“We were only a small community of 50 people. Living away from the city, we relied on nature for our necessities. Cars, trucks, not even electricity, we don’t need any of those. So you can imagine how easy it was for someone like Toue to attack us when we have nothing to protect ourselves with at 2:14 am. Those who obstructed him were annihilated with machine guns. When his men failed to find what he wanted, he ordered them to burn away everything.”

Mink closed his eyes at the miles and miles of burnt forests around him.

“They left just as they came. I wasn’t able to chase after him, I only saw the military uniform they wore. The army emblem on the right shoulder was my only clue, the one where it’s stitched with initials T.O.U.E.”

Aoba was speechless as he listened to the horrifying event, “W-Why? Would Toue invade your homeland?”

“……Before she died in my arms, the Shaman told me her last words. Toue wanted to develop a secret weapon using our family recipe herbs. For that he sought after her, bribed her, one time he almost successfully kidnapped her away. She rejected all his advances, of course, knowing he’s a man with a heart as black as coal. We were careless, we thoughts for months when Toue stop pursuing her and kept quiet, we thought he gave up on harassing her. She never thought Toue would come with guns and armor to steal what he could find.”

“Mink…” Aoba reached out to grasp the older man’s hand.

Mink blinked and belatedly realized he gripped his fist so hard his knuckles turned white.

“I tracked him down. I joined the army thinking I’d get easy access since his elite bodyguards of Alphas are indestructible. Once I spilled his blood and avenged my family, I ripped of the code of arms on my right sleeve…. After that I wore my jacket like a medal, I planned to visit my family grave with it and proudly report I have avenged them. But I couldn’t bring myself to go to the holy site to pay my respects to them. I…”

He stared at his shivering hands.

“I saw my reflection in the water of the lake, I didn’t recognize the man who look back at me. How can I face them again in this state I’m in? I am a total mess. I can’t sleep at night when the nightmares kept haunting me. I can’t function basic daily life without popping in pills like candy. Even a single fire from a match horrifies me but the worst were the sound of fireworks during new years. I lashed at people who accidentally bump onto me in train stations or startled me with their loud yapping whenever I’m in a big crowd on the streets...”

 “Mink…”

“That’s why I thought perhaps seeking out professional help can fix me, but after several sessions, you must have realized how it’s too late for me, right? I’m not improving at all.”

Aoba shook his head with a gentle smile as he hugged the older man.

Mink gasped softly at the warmth enveloping his broad shoulders.

“That’s not true, I saw with my own eyes, Mink. You have changed a lot since the first time we met. The reason why you yourself didn’t realize it is because you have your sights on the road ahead of you. You’re no longer that same man who won’t cooperate with me as he chained himself to that chair. You’re a free man now with a free soul.”

“Free…” Mink repeated with a tone of mild disbelief.

“Uh huh, you’re almost there, Mink. You’re almost there to achieve your goal, to visit your family grave as a respectful man. As a hero to your family and people.”

“Aoba…”

Aoba’s expressive eyes were so full of trust. But even Mink could see as plain as the blue sky that they’re the same pair of eyes of someone with deep affection for another. Why was Aoba staring at him this way? Since when did Aoba watched over him with such tender feelings? The older man reached his hand up to caress the doctor’s cheeks. But just inches from allowing himself to indulge in Aoba’s soft warmth, he pulled back and immediately as if he touched fire. He still can’t do it.

Aoba was too good for him.

Get up, get up and move away.

Don’t get anymore attach to this beautiful soul who still sees what’s left of his ugly one...

"Mink?"

“......It’s getting late, you should head home now before the last train leave.”

“M-Mink?”

“Go.”

“W-what do you mean? I thought it’s still early---“

“Shut up, you’re annoying and a hindrance. Get out, or are you asking for a beating?”

“Mink….”

“Leave now.”

“……….R-Right.”, Aoba forced a laugh though it sounded strained on both their ears, “I… I’m sorry I imposed on your hospitality. Ren? Come here boy, we’re…… we’re leaving.” 

Mink forced himself to stare out the window as his sharp ears took note of Aoba’s footsteps and zipped up his sling bag. More footsteps could be heard but from the reflection reflected on the glass window, Mink could see Aoba stood behind him as he hugged his puppy in his arms. His expressive face showed all signs of reluctance to leave with hurt eyes.

“……um, Mink… but I… I wanted to sta---”

“Good night, Seragaki-sensei.”

There was a soft gasp when Mink called him by his family name again. Back to formalities as if they were two strangers and not two people who bonded a close relationship.

“Yes… g-good night.” Aoba looked down as he hugged Ren tight, his voice weak and miserable.

When Mink kept silent, the younger man’s shoulders sagged lower and slowly turned around to leave. Mink had to close his eyes and force himself to feel nothing. Do not be attach, he’s merely a stepping stone in your rehabilitation. He’s nothing. But it didn’t stop Mink from feeling like shit at his actions.

The moment he heard the sound of the door, suddenly it slammed shut with a loud thump and running footsteps could be heard behind him!

“Mink!”

Like a blue whirlwind, Mink felt small hands reached for his shoulder, turned him around and pinned him to the window!

Shocked and speechless, before him is a sight he once saw before.

An angry Aoba.

And Aoba was currently kissing him against the window!

It was a press of lips between them, nothing passionate but Mink can feel Aoba’s possessiveness from his actions.

Pulling back, Aoba gripped his shirt with feral golden eyes. Again, the youth before him looked like a street punk with a bad attitude rather than a respectful doctor.

“Fucking hell!”

With strength one never expected from a slender man like Aoba, he easily pulled Mink to the couch and straddled his legs before gripping Mink’s collar!

“The fuck do you mean by good night? What was that all about?! I thought we have something special! although we didn’t openly talk about it, was I not obvious how you’re important to me? I like you so much, Mink! You’re important to me!”

In the battlefield, Mink was used to unexpected events that can take his life anytime. But nothing prepared him for this current situation.

Feeling the rolling tears wetting his cheeks, Aoba roughly dried them with the sleeve of his jacket, “Shit.“

More tears kept rolling down as Aoba couldn’t control his sadness at the thought of separating from Mink. The older man reached up and carefully stopped Aoba’s wrist from making anymore damage to his puffy pinky cheeks. Yet he looked conflicted as if he was worried he would hurt Aoba with his small actions. With a sniffle, Aoba helds onto Mink’s palm and rub his cheeks against the rough skin of his palm. 

“I want you and I’m not leaving this place.”

“Aoba…”

“Promise me that we’ll not stop seeing each other. Even when you do complete your rehab sessions, we’ll still see each other.”

“…………I’m destined to walk this journey by myself. You shouldn’t be dragged down with me.”

“It’s my choice, Mink. I want to be with you. Walk with you, spend time with you. I want to see you every day and I want you to touch me just like how you do my hair. I want you, Mink. All of you.”

Aoba’s words made Mink breathless just like the kiss they shared. Anyone can tell that this youth is no longer seeing Mink as a patient. He’s not being stubborn to uphold his pride as a therapist but he’s acting this way due to the strong emotions he felt towards Mink. Feelings that were bordering on obsession.

It was… strange to Mink. He never had anyone want him this badly before for people only approach him if they have a wish. He was used to being told what to do for the benefit of his elders and people.

The Shaman ordered him to wed the chosen girl, he obeyed for the sake of maintaining the tribe’s existence.

The Shaman ordered him to spill Toue’s blood, he obeyed as he carried her ceremonial dagger.

The Shaman forced him to carry this heavy sin of being a murderer, Mink obeyed and killed his own emotions too.

But Aoba’s words and selfless actions confused the jaded soldier. Why would he go so far for this ex-convict?

“What will you do if I suddenly go missing?”

“I’ll search for you.”

“If I suddenly leave the country without telling you?”

“I’ll track you down in each country until I catch you.”

“………Why do you want me this much, Aoba?” Mink can’t think of any reason why someone like Aoba would want a broken man like him.

At a lost of the right words to describe his feelings, Aoba opted to demonstrate by actions. He cupped Mink’s cheeks and bent down to kiss him. Then kissed his cheeks, chin, nose and lastly his forehead.

Hugging Mink’s head to his heart, Aoba confessed earnestly, “I want to be by your side. I want to know everything about you. I want to cook for you meals until you’ll tell me they’re delicious. I want you to comb and decorate my hair so that I can show everyone this is Mink’s handwork. Show everyone who I belong to. I want to look good in your eyes. That you made these beautiful ornaments for me. That it was you alone who made these which I wear with pride. I want you to call my name again and again. I want you, Mink. All of you.”

Mink sighed after a long moment of speechlessness, “You… are really a troublesome one.”

Aoba tensed and cast his amber eyes down as if being scolded with. Perhaps he really was going to leave this apartment on his own. It hurts when the person he like so much doesn't feel the same way---

“Will you take responsibility, then?”

“Eh?”

Looking up, Aoba saw the golden eagle eyes now has a different hue to them. One that made Aoba felt a tingle up his spine.

“Will you take responsibility over the words you said? You made me feel young again, feel appreciated. That a man heavily sinned like me can still be loved by another even when the Gods have turned their backs on him.”

“Mink…”

“I’m having thoughts of what colored beads to decorate your hair for tomorrow, what abominable food you’ll feed me in the morning. I’m reconsidering all these you mentioned and maybe the mutt can stay as long as he doesn’t chew my boots too.”

Aoba almost smiled at the last part before his eyes looked directly at Mink’s with a determined gaze, “Yes, I take responsibility. I’m serious about you!”

Despite a small voice in the back of his head, Mink allowed himself to believe Aoba’s words as he gently cupped the back of his head. Aoba gasped softly when their lips drew close and they kissed again for the third time.

As they say, third time’s the charm.

What’s more, it was Mink who initiated it, Aoba almost teared up as he snaked his arms around Mink’s neck and relished in the feeling of having his strong emotions reciprocated. That Mink gently held him in his arms with such tenderness like a lover.  Their kiss soon became heated. A deep, passionate kiss. Whimpering softly, Aoba pulled back with a breathless gasp. Then a loud moan erupted from his throat when he felt soft lips trailed down his neck. Aoba blushed when he felt Mink marked his collarbone while those big palms roamed under Aoba's shirt.

“Last chance to blame it on hormones.”

Aoba took a moment to register Mink was talking and then he got mad with his cheeks puffed up, “You think I’m joking about this? I’m said I'm serious about you!”

“…. You’re really serious about this.”

“Of course!”

“But... won’t this damage your reputation?”

“E-eh?”

“This, having a relationship with your patient. Isn’t it unethical in your line of work?”

“W-well… I’ll just make sure they won’t know.”

“….You’re going to hide this from your fellow co-workers? Forever?”

Aoba made a frustrated noise, he really wanted Mink. He wanted him so much but Mink did have a point.

Mink reached out to touch Aoba’s cheek and suggest in a melancholic tone, “…we can pretend nothing happened. That tomorrow when we meet for our session, I’ll still be your patient and you as my doctor. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Aoba sniffled and shook his head, “no! I don’t want to leave, I want you! I want this!”

The younger man possessively wrapped his arms around Mink’s head again. He shivered like a frightened child. In his arms, Mink frown in deep thought as he caressed Aoba's back in soothing strokes. He knew he shouldn’t ruin Aoba’s profession, no matter how much he wanted to allow himself to love this beautiful man. But the human heart is greedy. His self will broke and soon his hands slowly reached up to grasped Aoba’s shoulder to pull him away.

Aoba looked down at him with a worried, anxious look.

"Mink... please don't send me away. I want to stay here, by your side. I want to stay."

The older man sighed heavily... and pushed Aoba down the couch.

“Aoba… you're mine.”

Aoba's smile when he heard Mink's words was so dazzling. 

"Yours, always."

He bent down and kissed Aoba without restraint this time. 

_Mine._

******

About an hour later, Aoba kept fixing his messed up hair from their make out session as he wore his shoes.

“You can stay for the night.” Mink suggested as he leaned his shoulder against the wall.

Compared to Aoba’s bruised lips, flushed cheeks, marked neck and untidy clothes, Mink looked like a cover model still. There were thoughts of taking their new relationship in the bedroom but Mink didn’t want to rush things so soon. He’s still getting used to the idea that Aoba has fond feelings for him and even respected his wish to explore this new chapter of a new beginning. Mink felt like he died and given a second life’s journey to walk. This time Aoba’s willing to cross this journey by his side as well.

“……..Sorry I can’t, I have to go somewhere tomorrow.”

“Then let me send you home. I haven’t sent my regards to your grandmother yet.”

Aoba’s body tensed up as he looked away, “um… uh, Baa-chan said she’ll be late from visiting her friend.”

Mink did the eyebrow arch thing again, ”How do you know that?”

“Um, I got her message awhile ago.”

“But you mentioned she hated using the Coil, right? Plus didn't you turned off your Coil?”

Caught at lying, Aoba quickly dismissed the topic by tiptoeing and kissed Mink again.

“A-Anyway, you don’t have to worry about me, Mink. Nothing will happen to me. I know how to defend myself. I’m going now! Bye!”

“Aoba, wait.”

Mink caught his slender wrist and dropped something into Aoba’s palm. The doctor opened his palm to see two brass objects. One looked older and rusted compared to the other.

“Keys?”

“The black one is the key to this house. The other one… It’s…. my old house key before… the fire ruined everything. It’s my only memento of my childhood and I want you to keep it.”

“Mink… but, why? It’s so important to you.”

“Because you’re... important to me.”

Aoba gasped.

“With the other key you can come here anytime, no matter if it’s night or dawn.”

“Mink… thank you.”

The older man nodded and despite wanting to follow Aoba, he forced himself to stay at his spot, “good night.”

This time Aoba smiled although his expressive eyes are still misty from his overflowing emotions, “Good night. I’ll come here tomorrow evening.”

Mink nodded with a smile when again Aoba gave one last peck on his lips for a goodnight kiss and exited the apartment.

The moment his sharp ears no longer hear Aoba’s footsteps, Mink turned in his heels to approach the window. A few moments later he saw Aoba’s slender back walked out the building and heading to the train station. It must be cold at this time of the night but it’s Aoba’s wish to return home alone.

But what is this new anxious feeling that has creep up his chest?

He has Aoba, the doctor loves him both as a friend and as a partner.

Yet why does he feel like his happiness is going to be taken away from him all over again just like the fire that turn ashes to ashes?

***********

After Ren, Aoba’s next favourite possession is Mink’s house key. He started to wear it as a necklace and Mink helped decorate it with a white feather, saying how it complimented his hair the shade of the vast sky. He looked forward to come to Mink’s home and see his patient, now lover, either teaching himself another crafting technique or reading a book.

Their therapy sessions these days turned out to be more like a date compared to actually about rehab and if other doctors saw him, they’d shake his head saying Aoba is not acting like a professional doctor who can’t differentiate personal and job priorities. Well who cares about them? What’s important is that Mink is slowly but evidently getting better in handling his anxieties when something surprised him. The breathing techniques with counting really help and having his pet bird by his side, stroking the feathers help calm the former soldier if he saw something triggering on television. Since then Aoba has pull the plug of the tv, if there’s any news needed to be heard, they’ll just listen to the radio in the kitchen.

Going to Mink’s house and cooking for his lover are Aoba’s favourite past time. But what he dreads will be when it’s time to go home. Again today he saw someone spying at him from the corner of the shops when the doctor stares out the window. Right now as Aoba cross the empty streets, protectively clutching his sling bag where Ren is sleeping, he quickens his pace to reach the train station.

Just as Aoba suspected, he’s being followed whenever he exits Mink’s house. Usually Aoba’s not worried since he can defend himself alright. But he’ll be a goner if his stalkers are groups of 7-8 thugs.

“Hey, you.”

Wonderful, the thugs finally show up and they’re in groups of 17-18 men instead.

“W-what do you want?”

“You know Mink-san huh?”

“Mink… san?”

“Come on, I’m talking about our boss, leader of SCRATCH, Mink-san!”

“W-what do you mean leader?”

“Don’t you know anything? He’s one badass motherfucker! He went to prison last two years for killing his own boss, Toue! But Mink-san hasn’t been coming to our turf lately. And then you showed up. What are yer plans, kid? Tryna make our boss yer new sugar daddy, huh? Thinkin’ of bein’ a SCRATCH girl?”

Aoba’s so fed up when people keep misunderstanding him as a very flat chested girl. Readying his stance, he plan to kick the jerk a mighty one.

“I’m ready to churn some brains now.”

“Hey… isn’t this guy… look familiar?”

“Wait, you’re right! He looks like that guy--- SHIT! ISN’T HE---“

“GYAAAHHHHH!”

*********

“Welcome!”

Clear cheerfully greets as Mink enter the familiar bar owned by Mizuki. All eyes turn to look at the handsome, mature man with his cowboy boots and ethnic heritage. Plus it’s a sight to see two former leaders in the same place without the building going down from the match. It’s all history now and they’re both with a colourful past who washed their hands of their sins.

Mink sit at the stool chair as he order his usual. But remembering his manners taught by Aoba, he fakes a cough and say in an easy tone, “Good evening. How… have you been?” Man this is awkward.

The bartender was delighted, “it’s been raining lately so we have a lot of patrons coming in to have a warm drink of Sake and other beverages! But it’s fun because Mizuki-san looks happy. Anyway, it’s been awhile, Mink-san! I thought you went back to your country.”

“Hmph, I’ve been busy.” He didn’t sound as hostile as last time and this made Clear smile brighter. Though no one can really tell from his gas mask.

“Oh I see! What have you been doing?”

“Rehab and therapy. Thank you for recommending me that doctor the other day.”

Clear stop after he place Mink’s drink on the counter.

“Doctor?”

“Don’t you remember? Around 3 months ago you gave me Seragaki Tae’s number because she helped with your condition. But she’s no longer working so her grandson took over my case.”

“Grand… son?”

“Yeah, Seragaki Aoba-sensei.”

“Sensei…? You called her grandson as doctor. That’s… that’s not right.”

Mink felt strangely pissed at that, what does that mean Aoba’s not right?

“Meaning?”

“Seragaki Aoba-san… I never met him before but it’s true Tae-san has a grandson that she adopted. However I remembered they said he ran away from home.” Clear recalled. “Not long after that Tae-san passed away….”

Mink froze when he heard that. Immediately he stood up and grab Clear by the collar.

“Explain.”

The nearby ladies who tried to hit on Mink gasps and one of them dropped their champagne glass.

Clear hold up his hands and tries to elaborate, “Seragaki Aoba-san was involved in some sort of gang with two scary blonde men. Tae-san was ill and she passed away two months ago. When I gave you her number three months ago, I thought you knew she passed on.”

Mink release his hold and try to rearrange his thoughts.

Clear gave him Tae’s number three months ago.

Due to his denial that he needs professional help, Mink didn’t contact her number for nearly two months. He didn’t know the old lady has passed away during that time.

So that explains why it was Aoba who answered the call and not her.

But…

_“Nice to meet you, my name is Seragaki Aoba. I’ll be your therapist and I hope we can work out together as a team.”_

That answered all questions.

Why Aoba looked so young for his job

Why Aoba refused to bring him to the hospital office

Why Aoba refused his money for payment.

Is this some kind of joke? A kid just flat out lied to him about everything! Is this a new elaborate prank?!

“Ah, Mink-san! Where are you going?!”

Mink didn’t even turn around to answer. Manners and lessons he learned from Aoba all forgotten by his rage.

There’s someone he needs to have an appointment with.

*****

*************

***********************

To be continue?

 


	5. Session 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank Spades for being my beta reader and helped me revised this chapter ^_^

 

Chapter 5

Mink rode his bike across the narrow streets of the neighborhood like a flying demon. His mind still reeling over the new information he learned from Clear. Everything made sense now and he focused on feeling angry because he can’t bear to feel the hurt. Physical injuries were something he’s used to handling but the pain in his heart made Mink helpless to stop.

How can Aoba did that to him?

So that kiss was nothing?

The hair decorations he put time and effort to practice merely a child’s play in his eyes?

Was their relationship a big lie on top of other ones?

Well none of these questions could be answered until he talked to the so-called doctor in person!

Mink slowed down and parked his bike in front of an old two-story house with the name plate, “ _Seragaki”._

This was the first time Mink went to Aoba’s home and wonderful, the light’s out. Either Aoba’s asleep or there was no one in the house. Just when he felt like kicking the door down or punching a wall, he heard the soft bark of a familiar, small puppy.

“Ren?”

The mutt was hard to distinguish under the darkness of the moonless night. But Mink was sure it was Aoba’s puppy. What’s more, Ren strangely began to bite Mink’s pants and pulled him to a direction. Does the mutt want him to follow?  Right, why was Ren alone in the first place? Mink followed the puppy a few corners down the street and… found Aoba, heavily injured and bruised, lying against the concrete wall at a narrow alley!

“Aoba!”

Mink assessed the situation and around the teenager were men with familiar faces from SCRATCH. All of them either with a missing tooth, blue eye or swollen cheek. All evidence that a massive fight had happened here.

“These bastards…”

From a glance Mink could tell Aoba fought these thugs alone because he was the last person standing. Or last person to collapse. Although remained the victor, he himself suffered a lot of damages too. If Ren didn’t found Mink, who knew what would have happened next. Either Aoba end up in prison or in the hospital too late.

Mink knelt down and tapped Aoba’s cheek.

“Oi.”

“Hnn…”

“Oi! Wake up!”

“M-Mink?”

“What the fuck happened? Did they attack you?”

“No… it was me. They said I chased after you for the money. Calling me a SCRATCH girl wannabe. I… I love you with all my heart. How dare they for assuming my honest feelings like that… so I snapped and beat them up.”

“Aoba…”

The fake doctor weakly snaked his arms around Mink’s neck possessively, “You’re mine… Mine. I don’t want… to lose another… family… anymore.”

That was Aoba’s last words before he passed out.

Ren barked beside his owner and pawed Aoba’s knee. Trying to get a reaction from the unresponsive teen.

Mink’s anger wasn’t as bubbling as half an hour ago because Aoba’s words made him all the more confused. He doesn’t know what’s going on anymore.

***************

_Aoba lied on the tatami floor of the bedroom, staring at the ceiling he himself didn’t know for how long. Boxes and folded clothes were arranged nearby yet he has no more energy to continue. It was mentally and emotionally exhausting to do this so soon after Tae’s passing, but Aoba wanted to do this. Store what’s left of her belongings away because any reminder of her was painful. A reminder that he was a useless grandson to her even until her last breath._

_He’s all alone in this world now._

_“Woof!”_

_Well not entirely alone. He has Ren with him right? Good thing the puppy never left his side and currently lies on his stomach, sharing its warmth._

_“I didn’t even get the chance to apologize…”, Aoba murmured to himself as Ren licked his tears._

_Shaking his head from the memories, Aoba forced himself to sit up as he hugged his pet close._

_Enough, no more crying._

_It didn’t bring back his parents._

_And more tears won’t bring back his Baa-chan too._

_“I have to do what I need to do.”_

_First he’ll pack Tae’s belongings and clothes in boxes. Donate them? He’ll think about it another time. Once he’s done, Aoba wanders to her study room. He was surprised to see how different this room looked like compared to her traditional bedroom. This room looked like an office with the rows of book lined the walls. A single table faced the window and there were a few folders on the smooth surface. Picking up one folder shows a picture of a patient with his medical history details._

_He has heard about Tae was a doctor but he didn’t know that she was specifically a psychiatrist._

_The next two hours Aoba immersed himself reading up on medical journals in detail. That she was handling patients as a therapist. These files were evidence of her work. Reading through all three files, Aoba concluded his grandma recently worked on two previous patients. The first believed he was truly an artificial being due to the prosthetic arm and shoulder he was given after an accident when he was young. Orphaned, his loner of a grandfather took him in but since they lived in isolation, this caused the child to grow up detached from society. He lost his sense of reality and formed an obsession with jellyfishes._

_Several sessions later, Aoba read Tae decide to close the case.  Although this patient has mingled with the human population again, she was not able to make him to take off his gas mask, nor was she able to convince him that he is really a human with a resilient body and not some heart-less being._

_Aoba read her last journal entry that she was extremely disappointed that she failed to help this man to recover entirely during their short sessions together. After reading on that case, Aoba later learned about Tae’s other patient, the one with a rare medical condition where he can’t feel sensations, leading him to be extremely negligent of his injuries and safety. Intrigued, Aoba ended up reading more and more of Tae’s written journals of her works._

_Another tear threatened to fall and the teenager angrily wipe it with his sleeve._

_No, he refused to cry over spilt milk. He needs to do what he needs to do._

_To atone for his past bad deeds against his guardian, he’d straighten up and be the grandson she can be proud of._

_Decision made, Aoba began making calls and browsed the internet for where he can apply affordable night classes. With the income he earned from working at Heibon Junk Shop in the morning, Aoba studied his ass off to get a diploma from his night classes. During his free time, Aoba would religiously read up Tae’s medical research thesis, books and journals. Majoring in psychology is anything but a walk in the park. He spent a lot of time in her office, teaching himself knowledge that he never acquired from school before he dropped out. What drove him to garner all this knowledge? Why did he felt empathy to these people when for other doctors, they’re just another name in the mentally unstable list of patients._

_Aoba wanted to help them, but can a former street punk who only knows how to fight be of use?_

**********************

When Aoba woke up from his dream, he blinked back tears. It’s been awhile he dreamed about her passing and he still hasn’t gotten over it.

“Ren?” he automatically called out to his best friend and sat up when he realized he’s in his bedroom.

“Huh? How did I get back here?”

“Aoba.”

The teenager froze when he recognized  Mink’s voice coming from his side. Slowly turning around as he grip his blanket, he witnessed his worst nightmare came to life.

An unhappy looking Mink sat beside his bed with a sleeping Ren on his lap.

“W-Why…are you here--- ouch!”, Aoba winced when he felt his sore cheek muscle pulled. When he reached up to touch it, there was a bandage. Looking down on his arms and knuckles, someone had bandaged his bruises and injuries like a professional doctor.

Speaking of doctor, Aoba saw beside Mink were a pile of record files of his late grandmother’s, books from his cram school and Heibon’s uniform jacket that Haga-san gave him with Aoba’s name tag pinned at the collar.

“M-Mink… about… about all these… I…”

“I’ve read these documents, I found Gas Mask’s file where Seragaki Tae documented about his case. It was not entirely successful however he did stop living at the dumpster and has a stable job now.”

“O-Oh…”

“There was a letter from your cram school, stating you have been skipping a lot of night classes. Resulting in your grades dropping past the red line, Aoba.”

“I… I can explain.”

“The rent payment for this month has been long overdue and there was another letter from where you requested advance payment for your salary, to which your boss rejected your appeal.”

“……. Y-Yes…”

“But the most obvious thing is that in this big house there’s only _one_ person living here. What was it you said about Seragaki Tae taking a long leave after her retirement? What was it about taking over her job and her patients?”

“Mink… please, listen. I have my reasons…”, Aoba started to tear up.

“You lied to me, Aoba. You called yourself my doctor. You brought me to places and meet people for so-called therapy sessions and rehab. I believed you but was it all part of a game to pass the time?”

“No! No, nothing like that at all! Please believe in me, Mink. It wasn’t a game, I was sincerely doing my job to help your condition! I studied Baa-chan’s papers and reports. I took night classes and worked part time to earn side income so that I can save up enough for that Medical School at the city next year. I wanted to help you, as a friend and doctor.”

“But you’re not even a qualified doctor. Do you understand the heavy responsibility there if you did the incorrect method of handling my case?”

Aoba flinched as if a thunder boomed outside the window.

“Handling a patient with emotional problems such as I is not child’s play. That is why people trained and do research for years to earn their doctorate. To gain experience needed to handle broken people like us.”

“But… but I wanted to help you, Mink. I really did. I answered your call that night, I got your name, I listened to your story and I wanted to know more about you!!”

Mink remained to have an expressionless look. His eyes neither accepting nor rejecting, making the emotional teen more uncertain and a little scared that this disaster was getting worse.

“Aoba, for what reason did you decide to play doctor for me? As a practice subject for your night classes? I’m your experiment before you handle other men to toy with their minds?”

“No! You are important to me! I wanted… I wanted to help cure you and then I can finally visit Baa-chan’s g-grave and… and apologize to her… and tell her I finally did something right all these years. I wanted to prove her that as my way of compensating all the wrongs I wronged her in the past!”

Mink’s jaw tightened when he heard that confession.

He lightly placed Ren into Aoba’s lap and when he drew close, Aoba’s eyes lighted up. Thinking Mink possibly forgive him for lying all these months?

“Aoba… were you even listening to what you said? You’re not some tragic protagonist in a story. You used me, Aoba. You used me to atone for your past deeds in seeking your late grandmother’s forgiveness. Have you ever thought how I felt if you were in my shoes?”

Aoba… has this confused look on his face, “I… used you?”

 Mink clenched his jaw and explained, “you didn’t realize it because in your mind you only thought about your little apology project.”

“M-Mink… I don’t understand.”

Mink’s voice grew more rough as he elaborated, “you don’t realize it but here’s the reality. You playing doctor with me now so that later you can trot to your granny’s grave and say ‘ _Hey look! I fixed this man and see there I did something good for once? Now I can wash my hands from this guilt! I’m a good boy now! I did a good job fixing a guy who’s not right in the head! You proud of me now, granny?”_

When Mink explained it that way, only now Aoba realized what he has done.

How he hurt Mink without realizing that his good intentions were actually such rubbish.

“Oh… no. No… no, Mink… I… I didn’t mean to…”

“You didn’t mean to? You’re saying you don’t mean to lie to me about her passing as well?”

“T-That is…”

“If you told me about Seragaki Tae’s passing, I would be happy enough to have someone listen to my story over the phone. You didn’t have to pretend to be my teacher and doctor.”

Aoba looked so ashamed he can’t even look at Mink in the eyes. Ren, who’s awake now, licked Aoba’s damp cheeks to comfort his owner.

Seeing the sight, Mink should turn in his heels and leave.

But Mink is a bastard.

Deep down in his blackened heart, the fires still burn. Bubbling with constrained rage over this betrayal.

“You don’t have to be my doctor… Who knows, maybe we can even become fuck buddies.”

Aoba whipped his head up in shock, “w-what?”

“You said you liked me, right? Well of course you do. If I go to an actual doctor, your little atonement project will break to pieces. So you seduced me, saying how much I mean a lot to you, that I matter in your life. Really, you can just spare the sweet words if you want me to be your sugar daddy. I can pay off your rent and fuck you like a whore. Your granny doesn’t have to know. You can just tell her at her grave that you met Miss Perfect and got married with kids. No more of that brat that ran away from home and did drug----“

_*SLAP*_

Mink’s face turned to the side from the strong impact to his cheek.

He slowly turned back and saw with emotionless eyes of Aoba’s miserable expression with flowing tears. Aoba's hands raised up after slapping his favourite person for the hurtful words he spouted.

“Oh? No longer playing the good doctor anymore? Not going to scold me about forgetting my manners, Aoba- _sensei_?”

“Stop…”

“To think I naively played along with your little game, Aoba- _sensei_. I wasted my time and money caring for a noisy bird, got a girl crying, worked on stupid hair toy and now… this.”

“No… stop it, Mink. Please say no more.”

“I trusted you, how can you do this to me?”

“Mink… please… please believe me when I… told you that I truly love you. Only that I didn’t lie about.”

Mink was quiet and then he spoke, “No, Aoba. You never loved me. You were in love with the idea of love.”

“W-What?”

“You lost your grandmother and you’ve been living a lonely life. When I came into the picture, you became…”

He took a moment to arrange his words.

“I was wondering why you were so nice to me. No matter what rude words or curses I did to you, you were extremely supportive and patient. It was not… normal. You were a bit clingy and possessive, I saw that. You claimed that you love me but… your emotion projected to me was not love. It was just mindless obsession. I was merely a necessity for you to keep being sane. Anyone else could have been fine from those folders. Me, Gasmask, or Computer Maniac. Any of them can be fine to be your little doll.”

Aoba lost all color on his face.

Mink’s sharp observation hit exactly right on the nail.

“N-No…”, Aoba held his head, in disbelief and in denial, “ no… that’s not… true. My feelings… my feelings to you were…real. They are real…”

Closing his eyes, Mink stood up and turned around to head to the door.

“W-Wait! Where are you going?”

“There’s no point continuing this, yes? You can go back to your old life and I’ll resume mine. If we ever meet again in the future, think that I died and are merely a stranger you’ve never met.”

“Mink! No, don’t go!”

“It’s over. Until you calmed down and think of your life priorities, don’t _ever_ see me again.”

That was Mink’s last words before he closed the door behind his back. He kept on walking down the stairs when he heard the soft voice calling his name pleadingly. Mink never look back, he didn’t even registered the pain on his cheek from Aoba’s slap. All his mind could remember was Aoba’s crying face.

The real bastard here was him.

He has no right to walk this offered second chance with the youth.

He has no more right to touch his hair nor appreciate his smiles anymore.

Because he’s one stupid bastard who made his beloved cry in agony.

The Shaman was right, a sinner like him doesn’t deserve love at all.

Even if it’s from a lonely child who only know how to love in a twisted way.

***********

******

**

END?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The crooked love reference is from one of the side stories in Count Cain series by Kaori Yuki.


	6. Session 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Spades for being my amazing beta reader!

 

**Chapter 6.**

The team members of SCRATCH all gathered around their turf with bored looks on their faces. They wanted to roam around and have a good brawl with other rib members. But all their boss ever did since he rejoined them in this rundown building was to be holed up in one of the rooms the past two weeks.

“Oi, doncha think Mink-san’s actin’ kinda strange? No matter if we bring him dope or bitches, he ain’t budgin’ from his room.”

“Ya think he’s still mad that we messed with Sly Blue the other day?”

“Yeah, the first week he came back to us we were pretty excited man! Sure we got a bruise and a blue eye for messing with Sly Blue but come on! Why would he still be mad at us?”

The three sighed together in confusion.

Another member joined the group with a concerned look.

“Y’know, one night I sent some food to Mink-san’s door and I heard something strange.”

“Like what? He trashed some furniture again like the first three nights?”

“Nah man, it was… voices. I heard a voice and I think it was Mink-san’s voice.”

“Who could he be talkin’ to? He’s alone in that room that has no doors nor windows!”

“Have you ever heard of a coil?”

“Shut up, now tell me what did you hear?”

“I… I don’t know. They were… strange words. I’ve never heard them before and… it sounded like someone saying their prayers.”

“Prayers? Ya sayin’ that Mink-san was prayin’ of all things?!”

“I dunno, man. He just… sounded so sad…”

“Oh fuck, this doesn’t make sense at all.”

“Mink-san, please come out. We’re bored here~!”

Soft footsteps could be heard approaching the group of ex-convicts and they all became alarmed when they recognized the face of their uninvited guest.

“Um, is Mink here?” the youth asked nervously.

The thugs gasped, “You!”

******

Inside the room, Mink sat on a chair exhaustedly. He rested his arms on his knees with his back hunched forward as if the weight of the world rested on his broad shoulders. The room is dark except for the moonlight casted from the small window above. He didn’t trust himself to light the candle without Aoba by his side and so the unlit candle remain dusty on the bedside table.

In his big hands, he has a blue bead that he rolled between his index finger and thumb the past hour. He rolled it between the fingers left and right, left and right. Over and over again as his mind wandered to the past. He kept recalling Aoba’s painful expression, the event when all lies were exposed for him to see. The hurt has numbed his heart now but despite how Aoba lied to him all these months, Mink still felt anger at himself for making Aoba cried. For leaving that beautiful youth behind in his room as he walked out of the house.

No wonder Aoba smelled of death the first time they met. Just like himself who lost all his family and friends, Aoba too had a brush with the Grim Reaper himself. The pungent scent was so strong; Aoba was merely a moving puppet when his heart died along with his grandmother’s final breath. Just like Mink, his body merely a coffin as his only reason why he hasn’t killed himself too was to fulfill the Shaman’s last orders: To take Toue’s life.

Mink sighed as he put the bead back in his breast pocket. The bead was recently bought for Aoba. He always used other colours than blue, but this shade he particularly chose from the store was a good colour that’d match Aoba’s hair.

Mink sighed again. Remembering Aoba always made him ache so badly. He remembered how Aoba looked happy and alive when they started dating. Yet he kept reminding himself those days aren’t real. They were just part of Aoba’s master plan, his project to redeem himself for his granny. Which means Aoba never loved Mink, it was plain as day. But why was it that Aoba looked so happy when he welcomed Mink home? Or when Mink said his cooking improved?

Why was it Aoba had the most tragic look when Mink ordered him to never see him again?

Aoba’s love to him was just pure obsession. Anyone else would be fine to fill in the void in his heart after he lost his grandmother.

Mink shook his head, he’s tired of all these questions. Too tired to deal with the feeling of betrayal and sadness all over again.

Where should he go now? Out of whim he returned back to SCRATCH HQ because his home had so many reminders of his days with Aoba. His clothes in the laundry basket, one of his sling bags on the table, his weird yellow socks on the floor, books they borrowed from the library stacked on the coffee table…

And his scent on Mink’s bed.

Mink couldn’t sleep even when he threw the pillows down the floor. Not because of the nightmares, but at the reminder Aoba’s not there with him. That the beautiful man whose scent of a warm blue wind wasn’t in his arms for their nightly cuddle. They never held each other intimately before, just slept on the same bed since Mink was able to sleep better in Aoba’s arms. Who’d have thought arms of a deceitful person would be so warm…

Look at him. Before he was a broken man with anxiety and PTSD. Now he’s still a broken man, but this time with a broken heart. He wasted few months of his life playing doctor with a fake therapist he stupidly fell in love with.

What should he do? Return to his homeland? Perhaps he can build a house and live nearby his family’s resting place. To be their eternal guard…

***knock knock***

Mink blinked back tears. Or he thought those were tears. Being in the dark too long he wondered if he wept blood from all this agony.

“What do you want?” he croaked although it was intended to be a bark.

From behind the rickety, wooden door, came a muffled reply.

_“Mink-san, there was someone who wanted to see ya! He said his name is Seragaki!”_

Mink frowned, he shouldn’t feel surprised at how Aoba could find his location.

_“We told him we dunno nothin’ bout yer whereabouts, sir! He wanna see ya bad but we shooed him away. Finally he just gave us some letters. Uh… I’ll just let it slide under the door fer ya.”_

Soon enough there was the sound of paper against wood and when the former soldier stood up, he saw a few envelopes under the door. Part of Mink wanted to burn those letters away without reading a single word. They were written by the phony doctor, what else could he write about? Another apology? Despite his simmering anger, Mink still padded his way towards the letters and bent down to swipe them off the floor.

*******

_[……..enclosed in this letter are a list of real therapists and their contact numbers. I’ve asked for Yoshie-san’s help and believe me, they are professional doctors who can help your case…]_

Mink read through the written words all over again, not really reading the names and numbers but at how Aoba wrote the alphabets. There were splotches at some parts of the paper, evidence that the writer wrote these with tears for obviously they don’t look like coffee stain marks or the like.

Why would Aoba go this far for him?

Mink went back to the first page and reread the paragraph full of shaky letters written by shaky fingers.

_[Mink, I hope you are well. I waited for you at your apartment but it seemed as if you never set foot here ever since that night weeks ago. I know you told me not to see you ever again but I wanted….]_

Mink skipped several paragraphs. They all sounded fake.

He wanted to believe they’re just fake words spoken by a fake doctor.

Fake fake fake.

But no matter how many times Mink convinced himself he shouldn’t trust nor believe Aoba ever again, Mink could tell from the letters that Aoba wrote with all his heart into these words. His regrets, his sadness, his guilt, and everything.

_[I know no matter what you won’t forgive me for unknowingly using you. But one thing I want you to know that I really am in love with you, Mink. I really do love you. I want you. You said other patients, like Noiz or Clear, would have been fine for me, but it’s not true. The bond we had was something special between us. Only us…]_

Mink wanted to believe it too. That the feelings of affections he has for Aoba was something more. But his bitter, wounded heart was afraid to love again.

What if history will repeat itself?

What if he lost everything all over again?

Mink angrily threw the letters to the bedside table and lay on the bed. Those letters meant nothing. Aoba never existed in his life. He was a mistake, someone he shouldn’t have gotten involved at all.

Yet why was it that Mink reach up to his breast pocket and caress the blue bead that’s closest to his heart?

******************

A month has passed and the letters never failed to arrive every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Days where Mink and Aoba would jog together in the morning before heading to a bookstore or a library. No matter if it was rain or shine, the sender would make sure the letters would reach Mink. Sometimes Mink could hear the sounds of people fighting outside, where his men tried to teach Aoba a lesson to stop coming here and scram, but Aoba always remained the victor for the letters always ended up in Mink’s hands.

[ _I’m sorry…]_

Aoba himself never met Mink in person for he didn’t know which room the older man locked himself up in. And so the letters was their only connection. Mink never once replied to the letters, hoping the youth would give up on him, but after a month, it seemed Aoba was more stubborn than he is.

_[I’m sorry I didn’t realize how thoughtless I was that I used you…]_

By now all the anger has simmered out and only feeling of sadness enveloped Mink.

_[I want you to know that one thing remain unchanged…]_

Why won’t Aoba just forget about him?

**_[I truly love you, Mink.]_ **

And why didn’t he himself throw away the letters like he intended?

Did his madness finally get the better of his brain, clouding his judgment?

************

“Aoba-chan.”

“……….”

“Aoba-chan!!”

“Gyaah!”

Aoba almost dropped the little fork he was holding as he snapped out of his reverie! Everyone in the hospital cafeteria turned to look at him over the commotion and the teenager immediately bowed left and right to apologize for the disturbance.

Yoshie sighed as she rested her chin on her palm, “what’s wrong, Aoba-chan? I asked you down here to try my new cake but you hardly took a bite.”

Face pink with embarrassment, Aoba now bowed before the nurse, “I’m truly sorry, Yoshie-san! I’ll eat it right now!”

Yoshie pulled the plate away from him with a sigh, “it’s fine if you have no appetite. Actually you’ve been looking daze lately. And you have those bandages too. Did you get into a fight again? I thought you straightened up now.”

Aoba cast his gaze down as he felt like he was being scolded.

Faking a laugh, Aoba scratched the back of his head, “oh no, I’m done with that, Yoshie-san. These bandages? I told you I fell down the floor, remember?” he tried to lie.

Yoshie sighed again but dropped the subject, “if you say so. Now there’s another reason why I’m calling you here.”

At this the teenager perked up, “yes?”

“Next week on the 18th, the girls will be discharged from this hospital. But before they leave, I made plans to bring them somewhere for a picnic. But on the date I have a manicure and pedicure appointment so…” she batted her eyelashes at him with sparkly eyes.

Aoba nervously laughed, knowing well what she would ask him next.

“Aoba-chan, can you be an angel and bring them out in my place?”

Aoba smiled wider, “sure. I’m free on that day.” What with he lost his job and got suspended from class, Aoba was as free as a bird. He hoped Yoshie would give him some money for the trip though.

“Where’s the picnic place?”

Yoshie clapped her hand together happily!

“Thank you so much, Aoba-chan! I knew I could rely on you!”, she giggled as she reached for her wallet and gave him a bundle of bills, enough for Aoba to survive for three months.

“As for where, I leave it to the girls to decide. They’re still deciding about it in their rooms now. How about you go and discuss with them now?”

************

***knock knock***

It’s Saturday now and Mink sit up on the bed, expecting a letter again from Aoba.

“Mink-san, he came again, but this time he gave you this.”

What was slid under the door was not a letter but a written piece of paper.

_[The girls have been discharged from the hospital. As a celebration for their recovery, we’re planning to go on a field trip. You’re welcome to join us, Mink. Please come and see them, they missed you. The place we’re going to is… ]_

Mink’s blood ran cold when he read the name of the destination.

“Shit!!”

Grabbing his jacket, Mink barged out of the door and ran outside to his bike! The rest of the team members were still asleep and those who got woken up were confused out of their wits at what just happened.

“Oi! Where did Mink-san go to?”

“I dunno, man, I just sent him the letters like usual and suddenly he got out of his room and I saw he drove to that direction… to Oval Tower.”

“O-Oval… The fuck!? Why would he go there again?!”

********

Inside the bus, Aoba tiredly clutched the picnic bag while the three excited girls watched outside the window.

“Aoba-nii, are we there yet?”

“10 more minutes, Aki-chan.” he replied sleepily.

“Hey Aoba-nii, will he really show up?” Naru asked nervously.

Aoba put on a smile as he pat her head. She’s been holding her small sachet bag since the start of the bus journey. Obviously it’s a present for Mink.

“Of course! I told him you would be waiting and Mink never break his promises.”

Deep down Aoba wondered if Mink would really show up. If only another nurse could help join them during this trip, then maybe Mink would be inclined to show up and approach the girls when Aoba’s not in the picture. Although to be honest Aoba himself wanted to see Mink badly. It’s been almost two months since they last met. Has he eaten well? Has he started on his new rehab with a real doctor by now?

“Ah! We’ve arrived! Aoba-nii, look!”

Aoba weakly smile as he turned his head to look out the window.

Oval Tower.

“Saya-chan, it was you who chose this place from the map.” The teenager turned his attention to the girl whose been sitting quietly next to him, “why?”

Saya has been acting strange, ever since he entered the ward room when they were looking at the map to choose their picnic destination.

“Well, I heard this place has a pretty garden.”, Saya replied like an adult.

Aoba frowned as he looked at her closely. The past few days he noticed that her manners and speech has been quite strange. It was like she’s a different person but when he asked her sisters, they don’t seem to notice anything different about her.

Shrugging off that strange feeling, Aoba focused on today’s agenda. Just like Saya said, of course they didn’t plan to have a picnic at the actual ruined building, but the garden park few km away. _Oval Tower Garden_ was still open for the public. It used to be crowded by tourists who wanted to see Toue’s final resting place.

A trip to the beach would have been fine or even to the usual Midorijima Park. But Aoba would feel like crying if they went to that park. That place held so many precious memories of him with Mink when they were still together. Reading books under the tree, jogging in the morning, and the benches they sat on as they talked to each other.

Every reminder of Mink made Aoba felt so miserable.

How could he be so stupid?

How could he not realize how much he hurt the older man?

“Aoba-nii! The bus’s stopped, let’s go out!” Aki shouted excitedly as she pulled his jacket sleeve.

“R-Right. You two, don’t run! Wait for me!” he called out to Naru and Saya who already exited the doors.

“Hey kid.”

Just as Aoba about to step down the ladder, the creepy looking bus driver stopped him.

“Y-Yes?”

“You four have a death wish or something?”

Aoba was shocked, “What do you mean?”

“Coming so far all the way here, for what? To see some ruins?”

“No, we’re here on an educational trip. Plus we’ll have a picnic once we’re done with sightseeing.”

“Hmph, haven’t you heard the news about this place? A group of classmates came here for a dare game in the middle of the night last year and ever since then, no one has heard what happened to them.”

“……They… never came back?”

“None. So if you actually have something called a brain in that head of yours, I suggest you better call those girls back. I won’t even charge you for the return fee.”

Aoba wondered if the bus driver’s words were true. But Mink…

“No thank you, we’d like to stay here and we’re only going to the park.”

The creepy man simply shrugged his shoulders, “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

And with that Aoba stepped down and joined the three girls.

Ren suddenly started to bark noisily from his sling bag.

“Ren? Hey buddy, what’s wrong?”

Ren continue to bark at the air agitatedly. He must have smelt something but Aoba and the girls were oblivious to his reaction.

“What’s wrong with Ren-kun, Aoba-nii?” asked Aki.

“He must be hungry. Oh well, let’s go and find a nice, shady spot for our picnic shall we?”

“Yeah!”

Naru didn’t enthusiastically join the cheer as she still held onto her package.

Aoba smiled as he pat her head, “It’ll be fine, Mink will show up and you can give that to him first, okay?”

“Okay!”

A cold breeze swept past them as they enter the deserted looking garden gate. Aoba habitually caress his sling bag at Ren who was silently growling. Why is it that he sensed something horrible was about to happen?

*************

Mink rode his bike as devilishly fast as he could. Not caring he broke so many traffic rules, if Akushima’s at his tail then he’d just hit the accelerator pedal harder to shake him off his back. Once he reached the Oval Tower Garden gate entrance, Mink combed the area immediately. It didn’t take long for him to spot a scene straight from a story book.

Aoba and three girls having a sweet picnic on a grassy hill.

“Oi!”

He shouted as he stepped closer to them.

“Mr. Mink!”

“It’s Mr. Mink! He’s here!”

Like hyper active puppies the three girls surrounded him and pulled at Mink’s jacket excitedly. If he paid attention, he’d have seen all the girls wore the name bracelets that he crafted the first time they met. Naru stood right before him as she nervously present her little gift to him.

But Mink’s eyes never once glance down at the girls.

He was glaring at the other adult in the group, Aoba.

“We need to talk, now.”

Aoba gasped in surprise but tried to keep a positive thought as he persuaded the older man, “surely we can talk as we eat? Come and join our picnic party over here---“

“No, I need to talk to you right now.”

And with that Mink reached out to grab Aoba’s arm and dragged him to the nearby tree where they could talk in semi-privacy.

Aoba saw the crestfallen look of the girls and finally got angry too.

“What is wrong with you?! Those girls look forward to see you yet you didn’t even greet them once! I know you’re angry with me but don’t ever let it out on the children! They’re innocent!!”

Mink angrily brushed back his hair and explained, “That’s not it! Why of all places do you come to this God forsaken place?”

Aoba blinked in confusion and answered, “W-Well it was Yoshie-san’s request and Saya-chan chose this place. I also thought it’ll be a good educational trip. Plus I wanted to know about your past… about what happened between you and Toue years ago. So I decided to come here and see the place where you used to work.”

Then the teenager glanced at the ruins.

“The news that time said terrorists planted bombs and that was why the tower crumbled into a ruined state, but it’s still open for tourists to see as a historical site.”

Mink just looked more angry, “Didn’t you know this is now a forbidden site to enter?”

“Forbidden?”

“The corrupt government tried to cover it up. A group of school kids were wandering around the red zone for a dare game and one accidentally stepped on a planted bomb! This place is littered with bombs that I ordered my men to burry in some places! But not all of them exploded and set off during the fall of Oval Tower! When I got captured and imprisoned, my men didn’t manage to dig out the buried bombs because they too were cuffed away!”

Immediately Aoba became pale, that explained why Ren was barking at certain directions. What the creepy bus driver warned almost made so much sense now!

“W-We need to leave!” Aoba belatedly agreed, “girls, let’s pack.”

“Awww, why?”

“Mr. Mink found a better place where we can eat our Macaroons!” Aoba smiled and then blinked, “Hey, where’s Naru?”

Saya and Aki looked at each other guiltily.

Aki gave Aoba the gift Naru was holding for Mink, “She suddenly threw this to the floor.”

Saya added next, “And she ran away. Saying she hated Aoba-nii for talking with Mr. Mink all the time.”

Both Mink and Aoba froze!

If Naru were to accidentally step on a buried bomb…

Mink kneeled down before Saya and in a calm tone asked her, “It was my fault. I should have listened to Naru when I arrived. I want to apologize to her, where did she run off to?”

Aoba was impressed at Mink’s almost natural spoken words.

Saya looked a bit skeptical as she played with her fingers, “Hmm… what if you’ll scold her?”

Mink held her small hands in his big ones, “I won’t. I promised to bring you all to eat Macaroons, right?”

Saya finally smiled and pointed to a direction.

Mink stood up and immediately shouted to Aoba, “I’ll go get her. You bring these two to the bus stand and wait there. If I don’t come back within half an hour, call the police immediately.”

“W-Wait! Mink!”

*************

It’s already an hour and Aoba has now became a nervous ball of wreck. He hasn’t call the police yet for he believed Mink would come back with Naru. But if he took this long, maybe something must have happened.

Aoba tried to call Mink’ coil but it was unreachable. Looking up at the sky there used to be Huracan flying around but now he’s nowhere to be seen.

“Aoba-nii, Mr. Mink is taking so long. Is he playing hide and seek with Naru-chan?” Aki complained in a bored tone.

Saya has fallen asleep on her lap.

Aoba strained a smile although he very much wanted to bolt from this bus stand and back to the garden gates to search for Mink and Naru.

“I’m sure they’ll come here any minute now.”

Aki pouted while suddenly her sister sat up and looked straight at the teenager, “Aoba-nii…”

Aoba blinked. Somehow Saya looked different. Were her brown eyes always that… empty? Her body movement looked sluggish as she slowly raised her hand and pointed to one of the satellite tower remaining stood.

“Go there.”

“S-Saya-chan? What’s wrong?”

Saya smiled but it wasn’t her usual smile. She looked… like a different person.

“Go there, before it’s too late. Don’t worry about me and Aki. We’ll wait right here like good girls.”

Saya never called her sister with her name.

“Woof! woof!”

Ren jumped out of Aoba’s bag and ran across the street to the garden gates.

“W-What…. Ren! Wait!”

Aoba chased after his retreating pet while he glanced back at the strange Aki. Quickly he shook his head and ran straight to the direction she pointed just as Ren shoots to the same destination.

“Mink… oh, Mink I really hope you’re---“

***BOOM***

Aoba couldn’t believe his eyes. The satellite tower has smoke coming out of it.

“Oh no, please tell me they’re not inside there…”

*******

Mink could feel his ears still ringing. Hearing nothing but white noise, he looked down and sighed in relief he managed to grab the girl in that split second away from the bomb she accidentally stepped on. Thankfully it was only a small explosive and so it was not enough to explode this entire satellite building that Naru chose as her hiding spot.

It took the solder several minutes to realize there’s a faint noise followed by banging on the dented steel door. The explosion’s impact has rendered the door useless to open from inside.

“MINK! MINK, ARE YOU IN THERE?”

“Aoba?”

A sigh of relief can be heard as stronger banging can be heard, “JUST WAIT, I’M GOING TO KICK THIS DOOR DOWN!”

After a few minutes, it seemed like a useless feat.

Mink looked around and saw a small hole from one of the walls!

“Aoba! Go around to the north of this building!”

“What?”

“Just do it!” he shouted as he weakly dragged himself across the floor with the fainted Naru in his arms. Once he sat in front of the wall hole, he began pulling the loosened bricks one at a time. Soon enough he saw a familiar face from the other side.

“Mink! Mink I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Mink just continue pulling out any bricks, not caring if his fingers became numbed and bloody.

“Here, take her.”

Aoba obeyed as he gently reach into the hole and pulled Naru into his arms.

“Mink, hurry and come out too! I think this old building is unsafe.”

The hole in the wall was big enough for a slender man like Aoba and young children but for a big adult like Mink…

“Don’t worry about me, first bring Naru out of this place quick.”

Aoba became pale and shook his head, “No… no! I won’t leave this place without you!”

The older man tried to pull more bricks out of the way but it was no use. Plus his sharp hearing senses could hear what Aoba can’t hear. The sound of soft rumble from this very building…

He has to keep calm and persuade Aoba to leave first.

“It’ll be fine, I’ll stay here and you’ll call the police or firemen. They’ll come and break this wall bigger for me to crawl out.” then Mink whistled and down came a weight on Aoba's left shoulder. A dusty, pink bird flapped its wings as it bit Aoba's locks. 

"Take Huracan with you as well, he can guide you to the nearest exit!"

Aoba started to cry as he reached into the hole and held Mink’s bruised hand. “No… no.. no, I don’t... want to leave you alone… I… I haven’t properly apologized to you… I…”

Mink’s jaw tighten as he held up Aoba’s hand to his lips, just like when they first met in person when Aoba asked him to greet him good bye properly.

“You’re not going to leave me. I’ll continue to break this wall big enough for me to escape. We’re going to escape this place together. But first you must go. I managed to shield Naru from the explosion impact, but I don’t know if she may have other injuries I couldn’t see.”

Aoba’s tears were rolling down his cheeks now as he held onto Mink’s hand tight.

“So you must go first, Naru is your first priority. I will get out of here and be right behind you. Go, Aoba.”

“Mink… I’ve written it so many times at my letter but still… I want to tell you… that I’m so sorry I hurt you… that I used you. I’m so sorry…”

Mink remained calm and caressed Aoba’s hand for the final time.

“I forgive you.”

Aoba was shocked for a second before he smiled that bright smile of his again.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Ah yes, seeing Aoba's smile like that. What a good memory for him to keep before everything’s over.

“Mink… Mink can we… can we still go to libraries… and read books together?”

Mink took a moment to answer but there’s nothing wrong with white lies, “…Yes.”

“Then… in the evening, can I still come over and… cook dinner for you? Spend the night with you?”

Mink wished he could have a taste of Aoba’s salty rice broth again, “Of course.”

“Mink… Mink I love you… so much… I’m sorry I betrayed your trust and… and hurt you… so please… please wait for me okay? I’ll come back right after I send Naru-chan out of the gates. Okay?”

Mink again nodded and was about to urge Aoba to hurry until he felt something soft on his own lips.

Aoba has reached up through the wall hole and pressed two fingers on Mink’s lips, then he pulled his hand back to kiss the two fingers.

An indirect kiss.

“I’ll come back! I promise!”

Mink too reached out to Aoba and softly grab a lock of Aoba’s hair. The decorations mostly missing by now but there were two to three feathers remained. Obviously Aoba tried to replicate Mink’s braiding on his own to no avail.

He wished he could hold Aoba… once.

“I’ll be waiting, now go.”

Without any further delay, Aoba stood up and held Naru to his arms as he started running. Mindless of his tears, he ran as fast as his legs could carry. Ren ran alongside his feet. While he could distantly hear the flapping of wings above his head. 

Once he ran out the garden gate and reached the bus stand, he placed Naru in Aki’s hands.

“Naru’s safe, now to call the police and firema---“

**_BOOM_ **

**_BOOOOOOOOOMMM_ **

Turning around slowly, Aoba saw the satellite building tower that Mink was trapped in were… in smokes and flames.

How could it be possible?

No, it wasn’t the explosions. The building itself was fragile and crumbled down! Mink was trying to reduce the number of casualties by urging Aoba and Naru to leave first. Once the realization hit him.. he fell to his knees and held his head.

Aoba lost all sense of reason.

“No… NOOOO!!!!”

 

********

 

*************

 

******************

 

**To be continue?**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene where Mink locked himself up in his room is a tribute to one of my favourite doujinshi by Erda-san. Last chapter of this series will be uploaded hopefully next week. I hope you look forward to the conclusion of the story ^_^ Thank you for reading!


	7. Final session.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turned out this chapter finished earlier than expected hence why I published this today and not next week as planned.
> 
> Once again thank you to Spades for being my amazing friend and beta reader of this fic! Thank you!

 

**Chapter 7 – EPILOGUE.**

_*5 years later*_

Aoba sighs as he stares out the window of the aeroplane. He clutches the bag in his arms close. He saw his reflection from the glass window and weakly smiled. Despite Aoba being 24 years old, there’s a long streak of white in his hair, as if he was 42 years old. The dark circles under his eyes and how thin he has become over the past five years didn’t help his appearance at all. Mentally shaking his head from the view, he focuses on today’s agenda.

“Soon.” He whispers to himself as he waits for the flight to land.

******

_The news should cover on major events. A natural disaster, a political war, a raise in oil prices._

_But not when the topic is related to Oval Tower._

_That place was like the no man’s land. Neither the old town Midorijima nor the new city wanted to be involved with that area. Hence the corrupt police just covered up whatever happenings from that site. The same attitude goes to the locals too._

_Nosy reporters who interviewed some locals only has these to say:_

_“A booming sound? Oh it must be the Kuniyoshi children, ho, ho, ho! You know children like to play with firecrackers!”_

_“A rumbling experience at 2:14pm?  Ah… uh… a mild earthquake! Yes, it’s been happening often lately hasn’t it?”_

_“What I think happened to the missing satellite building? Oh… uh, was there a satellite building near the ruins? I remember there was only a tower and… some other buildings. Haha…”_

_While the internet and the media had a war of debates, at a small clinic there sat Aoba next to a bed._

*****

Once he exits the plane, Aoba goes to retrieve his bag pack and two cages. Not caring about the security’s orders, Aoba releases the captive bird from the cage as it perches on his shoulder. Another, a dog as high as his knees loyally follows at his heels. He’s too big to fit into Aoba’s sling bag anymore, but the pup is still adorable to his owner’s eyes. Many children and passerby’s in the airport terminal stop and stare at him, to which the man goes to find a taxi.

Once he climbs into one, Aoba tells the driver his desired location by showing a written piece of paper. The guy with thick beard scans the content then raises a hairy eyebrow as he stare at Aoba through the rear view mirror.

“This place?” the driver asks in disbelief, his English accent thick as the smell of cigarette in this cab. “Why would you want to go there? No one lives there!”

Aoba sighs in mild annoyance as he glares at the driver. “If you don’t want send me there then I’ll board another cab.”

“SQUAWK!”

The large bird with an eye patch chirps loudly in a menacing way as if to dare the driver to disobey his second owner. The eyepatch is to cover a mild wound it received from the fallen stone pieces years ago.

The old man sighs as he starts the engine, “Fine. Suit yourself if you want to be stranded there.”

Aoba ignores him as he stares out the window. In his mind he only wishes to go to one destination as he clutches the bag in his arms. Ren rests his head on his lap, licking Aoba’s hand to give comfort to his owner.

*****

“We’re here.”

Snapping out of his memories, Aoba didn’t spare a glance after leaving a hefty amount of money to the driver and climbs out of the vehicle. Straightening his back after the several long hour drive, Aoba saw before him miles and miles worth of forests.

“Well, here we go. I hope I arrive before the sun sets. Huracan, I’ll be counting on you.”

“SQUAWK!!”

The bird flies off to a direction and immediately Aoba follows after him. Several hours later, even after the sun sets and it became dark and cold, Aoba keeps on trekking forward.

“Woff! Woff!”

A bite to his jacket makes the man stop.

“Ren?”

The dog whines as he refuses to release his bite. Pulling Aoba away.

“What’s wrong buddy?” Aoba reaches out to pat his fluffy head.

“WOFF! WOFF! WOFF!!”

Ren barks noisily at something behind Aoba and when he turns around, Aoba saw several foxes run away.

“Oh, were you telling me it’s dangerous to move at night? Okay, let’s camp here. Thanks, Ren.”

Aoba put two fingers into his mouth and whistles loudly. A minute later, a familiar weight drops on his shoulder and the man caress the bird’s beak.

“Sorry, Huracan. Let’s continue tomorrow okay?”

The bird merely replies with a bite to Aoba’s fingers which didn’t hurt at all. Perhaps he’s starting to show his age and maybe that’s why Ren wanted to stop the trek, too. The pup wasn't as energetic as it used to years ago.

Setting up a fire and huddling close with his animal friends, Aoba refuses to fall asleep. He has forgotten when was the last time he was able to sleep for more than an hour. Initially it was the about how he couldn’t stop the tears. After that the nightmares of regrets haunting him for months to no end…

********

_Aoba sat next to a bed._

_The room was cold and dark._

_The occupant of the bed was all covered by a white sheet._

_When the SCRATCH team members came, it was too late as they saw Aoba tried to lift away rubble and stones. Not minding his bloodied hands nor the broken nails. Aoba kept screaming out Mink’s name._

_Once they found his body, it was charred and unrecognizable. But Aoba knew it was his Mink. He knew because in Mink’s right hand he was clutching a blackened blue bead._

_A type of bead used for hair decorations._

_“Why…?”_

_Aoba clutched the blackened bead in his shivering hands and fell to his knees before the bed. The teenager weakly clutched the white sheets as he bury his face in it._

_"Why... didn’t you let me die with you? Why?”_

_He swore he could smell the faintest scent of cinnamon from beneath the cold sheets._

_**KNOCK KNOCK** _

_Aoba gasps weakly as he quickly wipe away the tears. Forcing himself to be strong, he faked a smile as he opened the door._

_There's Yoshie with her hands on a little girl's shoulder._

_"Naru-chan." Aoba croaked, coughing a bit to pretend he has a cold, he smiled, "what's the matter? didn't I tell you to stay with your sisters?"_

_"Aoba-nii. There's something I want to tell Mr. Mink and to you too. Has he woken up yet?"_

_Yoshie and the other nurses spared her the news about Mink's passing.  Yoshie looked away as Aoba tightened his jaw over the strong urge to scream and yell it to her face that no, Mink will never ever wake up because it was all his fault!_

_But with strength he never knew, Aoba continue to smile with a finger pressed to his lips, "let's let him sleep just a little longer. He's still tired from the long journey back."_

_In childlike innocence, she pouted in disappointment for not being able to meet her favourite person. Then to Aoba's surprise, she pushed a small item into Aoba's bandaged fingers and palm._

_"Naru-chan? what is this?"_

_"A gift for Mr. Mink. But I think you can have it instead, Aoba-nii."_

_Then she ran away!_

_"Naru-chan! Wait! No running down the halls!" Yoshie gasped._

_"Catch me if you can, Yoshie-mama!" she playfully shouted back._

_Speechless at her mysterious words, Aoba slowly return back to Mink's side by the bedside chair. What Naru gave him was a pink sachet with a sticker of a bird on it. Loosening the little thread securing the bag, he popped out the content into his palm._

_Two toy rings with candy diamonds attached on them._

_"Naru-chan..."_

_He concluded the ring was meant to be worn by her and Mink because she had an obvious crush to the ex-soldier._

_But since Naru said Aoba can have it, does it mean she wanted him and Mink to wear these instead? Was it obvious to her eyes that Aoba liked him more than just friends? They did say women have sharper senses..._

_"Haha... Naru-chan..."_

_Aoba covered his face with both hands and broke down to cry._

_"I'm so sorry Naru... chan... Mink... can't wear this anymore... I don't... deserve your wonderful gift... nor Mink's forgiveness. I don't deserve any of these at all!!"_

_*******_

A lick to his face jolts Aoba awake.

“Oh, Ren. Good morning.”

“Woff!”

Aoba stretches his arms out and rubs his eyes. It’s still a bit dark but it’ll be dawn soon.

“Alright, let’s pack up and start moving.”

"Woof..."

"What's wrong, Ren? oh are you worried about my nightmare again? Don't worry buddy. I'm used to it by now. See? I don't wake up crying anymore." 

The hound didn't looked convinced but licks Aoba's hand full of scars to console his owner. He received an affectionate pat on the head in return.

"Let's go."

With Huracan excitedly flying in the sky, Aoba uses a long stick to help him walk faster. He didn’t care for the blisters in his feet, nor the scratches he got from tree branches. In his mind he wants to reach that destination no matter what.

Two hours later, Aoba saw Huracan circling around an area up North East.

It’s mysterious how Huracan knows the exact location. The information given to him by the SCRATCH team members weren't accurate at all but then none of them knew Mink's past as well as his own pet. 

Huffing and puffing, Aoba reaches into a clearing and no longer surrounded by trees. They’re at a cliff that oversees the endless green of grassy fields and clear water streams. The shining sun slowly rises up the horizon that sheds light to the land where Aoba stands.

Burial mounds and small boulders align in rows can be seen.

“Mink’s… family.”

There’s no mistaking it.

Huracan has found the resting place of Mink’s tribe. Several eagles and hawks perch over the nearby tree branches and boulders, glaring at Aoba as if trespassing a holy, sacred ground. Huracan too has taken his place on one of the branches.

Holding up his palms, Aoba explains to the guardians.

“I mean no harm. I’m here…” he felt like his throat clog but Aoba holds it down, “…To return something.”

Approaching one of the boulders that look like a stone slab with a flat surface, Aoba takes out the bag he was clutching during the plane ride here.

Smiling sadly, Aoba began placing Mink’s pipe on the smooth surface.

Next Aoba reaches for his neck and take off the necklace that has Mink’s house keys. He places them next to the pipe.

Then Aoba reach for his jacket. He was a bit reluctant to part with this. He wants to keep one as a memento of Mink but…

“I shouldn’t be selfish...”

Slowly Aoba takes off Mink’s military jacket off his shoulders and neatly folds it.

The worn out jacket too is placed next to the belongings.

Holding back the urge to cry, Aoba began to speak. In a loud and clear voice so that the people here can hear him.

“I am no one. I’m merely here to return your son’s belongings.”

Ren whines as he sits next to Aoba before the boulder.

“Your… son, Mink. You all must be wondering where Mink went to all these years. I’ve come here to tell you everything. I’m here to tell you… not of how he died… but how he lived.”

And Aoba starts to talk.

His voice flows across the burial site like the blue wind. Narrating Mink’s tale, how he fought against Toue to avenge his family and friends. How brave and heroic their son was.

“He has returned to your side now.”

Aoba continues to talk even after the tears flow down, telling them how Mink lived his life. He caresses the military jacket Mink wore during his soldier years.

“Mink… has finally returned home.”

\---

\------

\------------

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is my first attempt of a tragedy. The story was inspired from a conversation I had with another friend, Cyna-san. We joked about the ongoing meme thing that the boyfriends didn't need Aoba but actually a doctor and therapy. Then we brainstormed about what if the doctor is Aoba himself? XD Hence this story was born and we discuss about the methods Aoba would employ to Mink's sessions. 
> 
> The original ending is for Cyna-san's eyes only back at tumblr fanmail. I hope she'll forgive me for writing this ending instead haha. The original story was shorter with less angst so I hope she'll not be too surprised to read this edited and revised version >///>
> 
> I hope a few of you were entertained. Thank you for those who still followed up with this story til the final chapter! Thank you!


	8. Chapter 7.5, another ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's already the 26th here at my timezone and so for Mink's birthday, I decided to post the original ending to this series.

** Chapter 7.5 – GOOD END. **

 

***5 years later***

 

Aoba stares out the window of the aeroplane and saw his reflection from the glass window. The dark circles under his eyes and how thin he has become over the past five years didn’t help his appearance at all. Mentally shaking his head from the view, he focuses on today’s agenda.

“Soon.” He whispers to himself as he waits for the flight to land.

******

_The news should cover on major events. A natural disaster, a political war, a raise in oil prices._

_But not when the topic is related to Oval Tower._

_That place was like the no man’s land. Neither the old town Midorijima nor the new city wanted to be involved with that area. Hence the corrupt police just covered up whatever happenings from that site. The same attitude goes to the locals too._

_Nosy reporters who interviewed some locals only has these to say:_

_“A booming sound? Oh it must be the Kuniyoshi children, ho, ho, ho! You know children like to play with firecrackers!”_

_“A rumbling experience at 2:14pm?  Ah… uh… a mild earthquake! Yes, it’s been happening often lately hasn’t it?”_

_“What I think happened to the missing satellite building? Oh… uh, was there a satellite building near the ruins? I remember there was only a tower and… some other buildings. Haha…”_

_While the internet and the media had a war of debates, at a small clinic there sat Aoba next to a bed._

*****

Once he exits the plane, Aoba goes to retrieve his bag pack and two cages. Not caring about the security’s orders, Aoba releases the captive bird from the cage as it perches on his shoulder. Another, a dog as high as his knees loyally follows at his heels. He’s too big to fit into Aoba’s sling bag anymore, but the pup is still adorable to his owner’s eyes. Many children and passerby’s in the airport terminal stop and stare at him, to which the man goes to find a taxi.

Once he climbs into one, Aoba tells the driver his desired location by showing a written piece of paper. The guy with thick beard scans the content then raises a hairy eyebrow as he stare at Aoba through the rear view mirror.

“This place?” the driver asks in disbelief, his English accent thick as the smell of cigarette in this cab. “Why would you want to go there? No one lives there!”

Aoba sighs in mild annoyance as he glares at the driver. “If you don’t want send me there then I’ll board another cab.”

“SQUAWK!”

The large bird with an eye patch chirps loudly in a menacing way as if to dare the driver to disobey his second owner. The eyepatch is to cover a mild wound it received from the fallen stone pieces years ago.

The old man sighs as he starts the engine, “Fine. Suit yourself if you want to be stranded there.”

Aoba ignores him as he stares out the window. In his mind he only wishes to go to one destination as he clutches the bag in his arms. Ren rests his head on his lap, licking Aoba’s hand to give comfort to his nervous owner.

******

_“How is Aoba-kun?” Haga, Aoba’s former boss who owned a Junk Shop inquired._

_“He’s… still sitting beside Mink-san.” Clear answered after he exited the room._

_“I see, I did inform Aoba-kun that he’d wake up within 12 hours. It’s a miracle that he survived the explosion.”_

_“But how? Aki-chan told me that man was trapped in the building and that when the explosion happened, the whole thing collapsed on him!” Yoshie who came with Haga asked in disbelief._

_Haga scratched his chin and theorized, “We found him near one of the four corner pillars of the building. Aoba-kun told me that Mink made a hole in the wall so that Naru could be transferred out. Perhaps when the explosion happened, Mink saw the wall hole became larger due to the cracks and punched himself out.”_

_Both Clear and Yoshie looked awestruck by the explanation. It may not be true, but it’s the only possible explanation as to how Mink was left with mild injuries to his body after such an explosion._

_Yoshie emotionally joined in, “I was so surprised when I got a call from Aoba-chan, but it was Saya-chan on the phone! She told me there was an emergency at the ruins and she wanted me to fetch him before going there.” She gestured to Haga._

_Clear scratched the back of his head, “I heard something loud from the bar. I ran to the direction and found Aoba-san crying as he was hugging the unconscious Mink.” He didn’t bother explaining how he has amazing sense of hearing from that distance._

_“I see, it’s good that you arrive there on time and helped carry Mink-kun.”_

_“…………”_

_“What is it?”_

_Clear continue to stare at the shop owner with a tilt of his head to the side, “I heard from my grandfather that you used to be a surgeon. We’re very grateful that you rescued Mink-san’s life with the operation!”_

_Haga merely shook his head, “Oh no, doing emergency operation on a human isn’t the same as dismantling and assembling junk parts into a working device. I may have done my best on Mink’s legs and right shoulder, but whether he could still move… we’ll see when he wakes up.”_

_Then he smiled sadly as he stared at Clear through the gas mask, “Lad, you… don’t remember me do you?”_

_Clear blinked, “I’m sorry, have we met before?”_

_“Yes, I was a friend of your grandfather. He, me and Aoba’s grandmother used to be close.” Haga stared at Clear for a few more minutes then chuckled as he held the bartender assistant’s gloved hand. The one where Clear has a prosthetic arm. “I see you took care of your body well. Good.”_

_Clear looked so confused as a sense of nostalgia washed over him. But still he can’t… remember much._

_“Haga-san?”_

_“No, it’s nothing. Now let’s leave Aoba-kun alone with that man. We’ll take turn check up on him every hour.” Back to doctor mode, both Clear and Yoshie nodded at the instruction._

******

“We’re here.” The driver announced in annoyance.

Snapping out of his daze, Aoba didn’t spare a glance after leaving a hefty amount of money to the driver and climbs out of the vehicle. Straightening his back after the several long hour drive, Aoba saw before him miles and miles worth of forests.

“Well, here we go. I hope I arrive before the sun sets. Huracan, I’ll be counting on you.”

“SQUAWK!!”

The bird flies off to a direction and immediately Aoba follows after him. Several hours later, the sun sets and it became dark and cold, Aoba keeps on trekking forward. With Huracan excitedly flying in the sky, Aoba uses a long stick to help him walk faster. He didn’t care for the blisters in his feet, nor the scratches he got from tree branches. In his mind he wants to reach that destination no matter what.

Two hours later, Aoba saw Huracan circling around an area up North East. Walking faster, Aoba reaches into a clearing and no longer surrounded by trees. They’re at a cliff that oversees the endless green of grassy fields and clear water streams. The shining sun slowly rises up the horizon that sheds light to the land where Aoba stands.

**********

_In the dark, cold room, Aoba struggled to keep awake._

_His body and mind protested to rest for staying awake the past two days after rescuing Mink but his heart refused to give in. He wanted to be the first thing Mink saw when he opened his eyes._

_“Aoba-nii.”_

_He gasped and rubbed his eyes from the tears. At the corner of the room there’s a little girl whose smile like that of the angel statues from church._

_“Aki-chan, is that you? W-why…? Isn’t it napping time right now?”_

_“It’ll be okay.” Aki smiled as she approached Mink’s bed._

_“H-huh?”_

_“Everything will be okay.”_

_Aoba was speechless at the girl’s mysterious words. Again just like back at the bus stand, this child acted different. Like she was another person._

_Aki raised a hand and reached out to Mink and Aoba tried to stop her, “W-Wait! Aki-chan, please don’t disturb Mink.”_

_Aki didn’t listen and she pressed her small palm on Mink’s bandaged forehead. Her usually brown eyes now have a dark shade into them like staring at the night sky. Aoba was at a lost of words over the scene as he saw the moment she pulled back her hand, more color was regained on Mink’s cheeks. Then his chest began to heave as he breathed in and out oxygen like a living human._

_“See? I told you it’ll be fine.”_

_“A-… Aki-chan…”_

_Then the girl turn around to face Aoba, “The knight rescued the princess from her tower, the princess is grateful. As a token of her gratitude for releasing her from the ruins, accept this gift.”_

_“G-Gift?”_

_The young girl reached up her hand again to touch Aoba’s forehead. The teenager’s vision immediately darkened and the last thing he heard was that of a voice of a gentle person._

_“Rest, Aoba. Thank you for releasing me from my pain…”_

_It was a gentle voice… like that of an older sibling._

**_*_ **

_Aoba gasped awake! Blinking away the sand from his eyes, he saw he’s still in the room with Mink. But there’s no little girl with strange, dark eyes beside him._

_Was that a dream? Checking the wall clock, it’s past midnight. How long has he been passed out?_

_“Mink?”_

_Turning his head, Aoba saw Mink was still sleeping, but he didn’t look as deathly pale like this afternoon and Aoba could hear his breathing. Moving closer, Aoba cupped Mink’s cheeks._

_“Mink…”_

_With moist eyes, Aoba brushed back Mink’s soft hair away. He wanted to see Mink’s beautiful golden eyes. He wanted to hear Mink’s deep voice. The way he’d tilt his head to the side when there was something he didn’t understand. Or the little smirk he had when teasing Aoba.  All these small things, Aoba wanted to see them again._

_“When will you wake up? Tomorrow? Three months from now? I can’t wait that long. I’m an impatient brat. I want to talk to you now. Hey Mink… you still remember what we last said back at the tower? You said we can still go to libraries and read books together. And… and in the evening I can still… come over to your house… and cook dinner… I want to get better so that you’ll finally say my cooking is delicious… Mink… don’t break your promise now, please…”_

_Aoba stared down at Mink’s face and the older man remained slumbering without a reaction. Holding back a sob, Aoba moved closer to shorten the distance between their faces and… kissed Mink on the lips._

_It has been so long and Aoba finally allowed the tears to flow down his cheeks now._

*****

Back to the present, Aoba smiles when he saw the homey little cottage. Reaching inside his shirt, Aoba take off his necklace that contains the two keys. Approaching the house, he unlock the door and close his eyes to the familiar scent.

Aoba didn’t speak a word as he search for the occupant of the house. It didn’t take him long as he saw at the livingroom there’s someone sitting at his wheelchair infront of a fireplace. A blanket covers his lower body and the occupant is fast asleep.

Aoba feels like crying but he holds back the urge as he approach the older man.

It’s been a few years and Aoba felt it lasted forever.

Bending down, he closes his eyes and seal their lips together.

“Mink….”

When Aoba pulls back, he smiles wide when he saw the man before him groans awake and those golden eyes stare back at him groggily.

Initially the man was on alert but when he saw before him is Aoba…

Making sure he has eyecontact, Aoba speaks slowly as he held Mink’s hand.

“I’m home.”

Mink happily smile as he caresses the long blue locks decorated with the blackened blue bead that survived the explosion. Aoba falls into Mink’s arms the moment he opens his arms wide to welcome his lover.

“Ah… ba…”

Mink says his name in a hoarse voice.

********

_“The patient has woken up! Doctor, call the doctor!”_

_Two hours later of examination by Haga, Mink sat alone on his bed._

_“I’ve done several eye tests but there were no reaction to your left eye. Your cornea didn’t shrink nor expand after I used the flashlight. There are also traces of discoloration. You’re… possibly blind on your left eye.”_

_But the most shocking news was when the doctor started talking. Mink stared at Haga in a daze._

**_“…an… y… ear… e?”_ **

_Mink tried to focus harder._

**_“Can you hear me?”_ **

_It was like trying to listen when sinking underwater. The nurses that whispered to each other, the noises…  Haga explained to Mink in short, simple sentences about his hearing loss. Due to the explosion noise that damaged the delicate sensory hair cells of the inner ear, Mink can’t hear like he used to. He could only hear distorted sounds._

_Mink held his head._

_He’s blind in one eye and became deaf._

_Numbed from the news, Mink felt… fragile. He wanted to see someone. Touching his chest, Mink felt warmth remembering Aoba’s smile whenever he welcomed him home. He also recalled how happy he felt when decorating Aoba’s hair.  He promise Aoba that they’d go to libraries again, that they would have dinner together and maybe this time Mink can have a taste of Aoba’s infamous salty rice broth. He loved it when he held Aoba in his arms._

_Aoba’s lies and betrayal felt like it happened decades ago. Deep down Mink has forgiven him because he himself wanted Aoba to stay by his side. Mink decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the man. But he wondered though… will Aoba still want Mink now that he’s incomplete as a human? With eyes half blind and his hearing loss… will Aoba still love him like before?_

_Feeling extremely lonely and fragile, Mink wanted to see Aoba now._

_“Mink…”_

_Due to his hearing lost, Mink didn’t hear nor notice someone entered his room._

_Gasping in surprise, he sighed a relief when he saw Aoba’s concern look._

**_“Ha…-san.. told me… news…”_ **

_Mink could only piece together Aoba’s questions from reading his lips._

**_“I’m… -rry… so… -rry… it’s… all… -ault!”_ **

_Aoba blamed himself for what happened to Mink’s eye and ears. The older man shook his head as he pulled the youth into his arms. Embracing him tight._

_That night no one disturbed the two reunited lovers in the hospital room._

_Their tears were a mixture of happiness and bitterness._

_One was that Mink’s life was spared but… at the cost of his hearing and sight. Aoba should be grateful but part of him was selfish that it was he himself with the permanent injuries. Not Mink! Because the survivor has lost so much, his family and friends, why was God so cruel to take away his important senses too?!_

*****

In front of the fireplace, Aoba has taken his seat on Mink’s lap. His arms still coil around his lover’s neck as they continue to snuggle close.

Huracan has taken his position at one of the kitchen chair while Ren warms Mink’s feet as he sleeps on the floor.

Now five years have passed and Aoba can finally return home to where Mink is.

“The examination was hard…”

He was saying as Mink listen, or rather, read Aoba’s lips as he narrates his trip back to Midorijima.

“But I finally got it. I passed the medical examination and got accepted to one of the medical institute in the next town! I still have a long way to go though since it’s all theory until now, next I’ll be handling real cases at real hospitals... I’m so nervous, though...”

Mink caresses Aoba’s head when his lover bites his lower lip worriedly.

“It’ll be fine…” his voice cracks at the end there.

After that explosion incident, Mink seldom talk. He can still speak but due to his hearing lost, he’s unsure if he spoke too loud or too faint. Usually Aoba’d be there to help him be his indicator when they go to town and shop. But the past few years Aoba had to return to his country to pursue his education, Mink got used to just being mute.

“You’ll fulfill your dream… be a real doctor… help people like me… and then we can visit your grandmother’s grave… just like how we first… did… when we arrived here… five years ago… Ah.. oba..”

The doctor trainee feels like crying again after hearing Mink’s words of encouragement.

He’s so glad Mink remembers everything. Their promise to each other, Aoba’s goal and Mink’s wishes.

The doctor in training couldn’t be anymore happy and blessed!

Pulling Mink’s hand to touch his own lips, Aoba mouthed the words.

“I love you, so much.”

Mink chuckled and cups Aoba’s face to shorten the distance between them, “I love you too, Aoba-sensei.”

\---

\-------

\-------------

**THE END.**


End file.
